100 One-Shot Challenge
by Winekita
Summary: My hand at the 100 One-shot challenge. Will focus on the Seven, Nico, Will, Reyna, and their legacies. Secondary challenge: At least mention Leo Valdez in every one shot.
1. Introduction

_**So, I decided I wanna try this One-Shot challenge. There are different variations, so here's the one I decided to do:**_

**1\. Introduction**  
**2\. Poison**  
**3\. Abandoned**  
**4\. Crisis**  
**5\. Dream**  
**6\. Shooting Star(s)**  
**7\. Mist**  
**8\. Hopeless**  
**9\. Obsession**  
**10\. Dreamcatcher**  
**11\. Rose(s)**  
**12\. Clouds**  
**13\. Revenge**  
**14\. Insanity**  
**15\. Disappear**  
**16\. Shadow**  
**17\. Darkness**  
**18\. Illuminate**  
**19\. Dusk**  
**20\. Dawn**  
**21\. Quest**  
**22\. Thrilling**  
**23\. Pillar**  
**24\. Autumn**  
**25\. Teddy Bear**  
**26\. Snuff**  
**27\. Prism**  
**28\. Rescue**  
**29\. Broken**  
**30\. Wall(s)**  
**31\. Beautiful**  
**32\. Tonight**  
**33\. Empty**  
**34\. Festive**  
**35\. Melody**  
**36\. Purple**  
**37\. Panic Switch**  
**38\. Sanctuary**  
**39\. Spell**  
**40\. Rejection**  
**41\. Sword**  
**42\. Love**  
**43\. Yellow**  
**44\. Boogeyman**  
**45\. Downstream**  
**46\. Fire Ball**  
**47\. Challenge**  
**48\. Sneeze**  
**49\. Illogical**  
**50\. Intermission**  
**51\. Overrated**  
**52\. Contagious**  
**53\. Magnificent**  
**54\. Summer**  
**55\. Button**  
**56\. Fragments**  
**57\. Merriment**  
**58\. Rising**  
**59\. Blue**  
**60\. Hesitation**  
**61\. Courage**  
**62\. Unknown**  
**63\. Potion**  
**64\. Faerie**  
**65\. Pumpkin**  
**66\. Battle**  
**67\. Bow**  
**68\. Malice**  
**69\. Castle**  
**70\. Scythe**  
**71\. Lost**  
**72\. Ribbon**  
**73\. Bars**  
**74\. Death**  
**75\. Memory**  
**76\. Winter**  
**77\. Sibling(s)**  
**78\. Childhood**  
**79\. Sacrifice**  
**80\. White**  
**81\. Graveyard**  
**82\. Umbrella**  
**83\. Infected**  
**84\. Breathe**  
**85\. Forever**  
**86\. Apologize**  
**87\. Heartache**  
**88\. Invincible**  
**89\. Illusion**  
**90\. Prayer**  
**91\. Spring**  
**92\. Paranoid**  
**93\. Jar Of Dirt**  
**94\. Magic**  
**95\. Needles**  
**96\. Golden**  
**97\. Dying**  
**98\. Red**  
**99\. Ablaze**  
**100\. The End**

_**I might mix around the numbers a bit, so bear with me on that :)**_

_**So instead of going for a holiday story, here's something y'all didn't expect: SOLANGELO CHILD!**_

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

**1: Introduction**

_Meet Jonah Calavera_

Nico di Angelo walked into the Big House slowly. He had been specifically called there, though he had no idea why. He hadn't done anything wrong, nor had he been a camper since he turned nineteen—which was eleven years ago…

"Ah, Nico," Chiron said as he stepped inside. The old centaur was in his wheelchair form. "I'd like you to meet someone."

Nico looked to the left and into the rec room. Sitting on the couch was a young Latino boy with greasy black hair and sad brown eyes. He was painfully skinny and dressed in rags. His bare feet were swinging as he looked at the ground.

"Who's the kid?" Nico asked.

"That," Chiron said, "would be a very distant cousin of yours."

"Pardon?"

"His name is Jonah Calavera." The kid looked up at the mention of his name, then back down. "He is a distant legacy of Hades."

"Let me guess," Nico said, crossing his arms. "He's from the early nineteen hundreds and was displaced in time like me and Hazel."

Chiron chuckled. "No, no. His bloodline began in that time period—a little bit before the First World War, actually—but it had thinned so much that monsters could no longer be attracted to his family."

"So why is he here?"

"For some reason, his blood—thin as though it may be—was just enough for him to begin learning how to shadow travel, even though he's five."

Nico groaned. "Fantastic. So where's his family? Do they know he can do that?"

Chiron looked at the son of Hades with sad eyes. "He is an orphan; the last of the Calavera line. The poor child had been sitting in an orphanage in Mexico when one of our satyrs sniffed him out based on pure luck."

Jonah flinched when Seymour, the leopard head still attached to the wall even though Apollo now occupied the Big House, yawned and growled for food.

Nico shook his head. "And what's this have to do with me?"

"I need someone to look after him while he learns to control those Hades-given powers," Chiron answered.

"So put him in the Hades Cabin and let him figure this out as a camper."

"He won't be going in the Hades Cabin, for Hades did not claim him."

"Pardon?"

A new voice spoke up this time. "I have claimed him."

Nico whirled around and saw his step-mother Persephone—of _all_ people—floating within an Iris Message. Nico bowed his head. "Queen Persephone," he said in a monotonous voice. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

The Queen of the Underworld sneered. "Don't lie, Nico di Angelo. It's as much a pleasure to you as it is to me."

_At least she's honest about it…_

"You said you claimed Jonah?" Nico asked. "Why?"

"Why not?" Persephone said, raising an eyebrow. "Hera claimed Zeus's son, Jason, for her own. Jonah Calavera may be a great descendant of one of my husband's flings, but he has shown promise in other things. Since I cannot have any demigod children of my own blood (as that would make me a hypocrite) I will claim Jonah."

"Other things?"

Persephone smiled. "Little Jonah respects nature and his favorite season is spring. I like the little boy and I've already fought your father over this. He is _mine_ to claim."

Nico huffed in annoyance. "So you want Camp to build a temporary cabin for you?"

"Already done," Chiron said. "One of the minor god cabins is open since the only child of Anicetus just moved into New Athens, so the cabin is open for Jonah to move in. We'll rename it for Persephone and let Jonah decorate it however he wishes."

"And…how does Jonah being claimed by Persephone tie in with me taking him in?" Nico asked.

"He needs a little bit of family," Chiron said. "It's not summer yet, and we need to get the cabin ready for Jonah to come in when summer arrives. He should not be alone."

"He's Mexican, right?" Nico asked. "Which means he probably doesn't know English very well…why not put him in the Valdez house? They use Spanish all the time."

"The Valdez family is preparing for a new member already," Persephone said. "In just a few short months, there shall be yet another one of Hephaestus's legacies running around that house. Jonah is from an orphanage that housed many children. So many family members might frighten him."

Nico couldn't argue with that. Leo and his brood were a lively bunch and this kid didn't look very into _excitement_.

"Besides the Hades powers," Nico drawled. "Why me?"

"He needs comfort with something," Chiron said. "You share his powers, and you and Will Solace aren't very…shall we say, _rowdy_…"

Nico slightly blushed at that. It'd been sixteen years since he and Will had begun their relationship. He _still_ got a little hot under the collar when someone mentioned it, but that was just his twenties-past-mindset acting up.

He sighed. "Fine, I'll take him. But he's still gotta learn English."

Chiron nodded. "We'll make sure to have Mr. Valdez teach him. Or perhaps young Tulio could try if Leo is too distracting."

"Okay."

Nico stepped into the rec room and sat beside Jonah on the couch.

Jonah looked at Nico and shied away. The son of Hades forced back a groan. Of course this kid would be judging on looks right now, and Nico wasn't the happiest person to look at.

"Hey," he tried. "I'm Nico di Angelo, son of Hades. I heard your name is Jonah?"

Jonah nodded.

"So you understand English?"

The boy nodded and put his fingers close together. _A little_.

"Okay, at least that's something…" Nico ran a hand through his black hair. "Chiron—that guy over there—said that I'll be taking you in until the summer. You'll be staying with me and my partner until your summer cabin is ready. Understand?"

Jonah slightly nodded with a confused expression.

_He probably only understood half of that…_ Nico sighed. "Alright, let's go, then."

Nico took the boy's hand. It was small and skinny, but warm.

They walked out of the Big House together. Nico couldn't help but smile a little. Jonah was kinda cute…

_Maybe this is a good thing,_ Nico thought. _I think Jonah would fit right in with Will and I._

Jonah looked up at Nico warily at first, then gave a small smile.

Nico smiled back, and for once, his smile didn't make someone nervous. It only made Jonah's grin get wider.

* * *

_**A/N: HA! Look at that, I finally got around to making a Solangelo child!**_

_**Isn't Jonah the coootest?**_

_**Also, if you were wondering, Zac is a few months in the oven, so that's where this story is in the normal timeline :)**_


	2. Poison

_**Next up is a story about Zac, the newest of the Valdez clan that got introduced in **_**The Keys_._**

**_Also, unless I specifically state it, I AM NOT TAKING SUGGESTIONS. Around 90% of the list I posted I've already got ideas for. So please, don't beg me for some random thing to happen. You'll just have to see what happens in the one shots._**

**_PS: Who all thought Poison would be about Jason's Imperial Gold wound? Be honest. :P_**

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

**2: Poison**

_Anything that good for you must be poison!_

"Zac."

"No."

"Zac."

"Uh-uh!"

"Zac!"

"Nope nope!"

Calypso Valdez groaned and nearly threw the food. "Zachariah Hunter Valdez," she warned. "Eat it!"

The little curly-haired boy shook his head furiously. "No wanna!"

His mother threw her hands in the air. "I give up!"

Leo, sitting across the table from the ordeal, snickered. "What's the problem, _mi sol_?"

She glared at her husband. "Your little demon of a son is the problem."

"My son?" he asked incredulously. "Since when is he _my_ son? I thought he was _our_ son!"

"He's _your_ son when he acts just like you; annoying, misbehaving, selfish—"

Leo held his hands up in surrender. "Take it easy, sweetie. What's got you so riled up? It's not like Zac's our first kid!"

The other three Valdez children watched on curiously. Esperanza was secretly hoping they'd break out into a rare fight—when they did fight it'd be over something silly like this. Tulio was still eating, watching the event go down while simultaneously thinking of plans to redesign a few inventions. Aria, being the closest to Zac's other side, patted her little brother on the head.

Calypso huffed in annoyance. "He won't eat his vegetables!"

Leo burst out laughing. "That's all? _Mi sol_, what are you trying to feed him?"

"Broccoli."

Leo grimaced. "Oh, yuck! No wonder Zac won't eat it! That's disgusting!"

Espie also grimaced, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

Tulio had _just_ placed a bit of broccoli in his mouth, so everyone knew where he stood on this argument. Aria kind of liked broccoli, too, but she stayed silent.

Calypso growled at him. "It is not! It's nutritious and good for you!"

"Bah," Leo spat. "Anything that nutritious _always_ tastes bad. Like leeks!"

Every Valdez child—Zac included—shuddered at the thought of leeks. Calypso wrinkled her nose in anger. "Vegetables aren't that bad, you dummy! I at least want our children to see it that way, since I can't get you to eat right unless it's a tofu burger!"

"I eat green beans, carrots, and corn!" Leo argued.

"Peas are good," Espie muttered.

"But broccoli is good for you, too," she argued back.

"Broccoli tastes awful! It's like poison!"

Zac gasped. "M-Mommy try to poison me?"

Calypso's eyes widened in alarm. "No, sweetheart. Broccoli isn't poison. Look, Tulio is—"

But the first Valdez son had frozen mid-bite. He took a napkin and spit out the rest of the broccoli.

"Tulio!"

Tulio looked away sheepishly. "Well, _Papi_ put the idea in my head…now I don't think I trust it tonight…"

"You are fourteen years old," Calypso said. "You've been eating broccoli since you were Zac's age. If it was poison it would've killed you by now, surely!"

Tulio paled slightly. Aria shifted uncomfortably.

Calypso stood up. "I give up with all of you," she exclaimed. She stomped out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

All the kids looked at Leo expectantly. He picked at the green beans on his plate and pursed his lips. He looked at Zac.

"Sorry, _mijo_," he said. "Broccoli isn't poison. It's just an expression."

He looked to the stairs and gave a half grin. "She'll come back down in a few minutes. Don't worry."

"And if she doesn't?" Aria asked. "Mom seemed pretty upset…"

Leo shrugged. "I've done way worse things than argue with her about veggies."

Espie snickered, remembering a few very rare instances where Leo had definitely made Calypso truly angry and had ended up in the hospital. It may have sounded like she abused him domestically, but really, he had deserved every punch. They always made up in the end, though.

Aria smiled. She knew her parents loved each other too much to leave the relationship over a few vegetables.

Tulio looked down at the half-chewed vegetables in his napkin. "Guess we won't be having broccoli for a while…"

* * *

_**A/N: If you didn't guess, I hate broccoli. Kudos to those of you who love it, because it tastes terrible to me...Blegh...**_


	3. Abandoned

_**Sorry that last chapter was a little hard on the Caleo relationship. And I am sorry if the 'domestic violence' offended anyone. I meant that whole 'in the hospital' part as more of a 'they're demigods and she's a former Titan with Titan strength. She went overboard even though Leo was being more of an idiot than usual' type of thing...Again, sorry.**_

_**Anyway, this chapter... D:**_

_**This hurt to write. But it had to be written.**_

_**I am so sorry about making you feel what you're about to feel.**_

_**:( **_

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

**3: Abandoned**

_The Beginning_

Leo sat in an uncomfortable chair in the dimly lit hallway of the Houston police station. It was three days after…the incident. Leo hadn't spoken since the funeral yesterday. His tears had dried up long ago.

He wished his _abuelo_ or even his _abuela_ was here with him. But no, all he had was his Aunt Rosa.

And she didn't want him. She had made that clear the moment she laid eyes on him this morning.

Which was why he was here now. Aunt Rosa was currently talking to the social workers in the chief's office. Leo was not allowed in.

He brought his knees to his chest and breathed deeply. Some officers gave him pitying looks. Some didn't. Leo ignored all of them.

The door opened. Leo lifted his head.

Rosa exited quickly. She didn't even look at her nephew.

Leo made to follow her, but one officer came up and gripped his shoulder. He looked at the boy sadly.

"The social workers need to see you," he said.

Leo glanced back at the retreating form of his aunt. He opened his mouth to call out for her, but stopped himself. She wouldn't come back. Ever.

Leo slowly walked into the office. There was an uptight lady in a pink pencil skirt standing in the middle of the room. She had mile-high heels and the world's tightest bun. In her hands was a clipboard and a yellow folder.

"Good day, Leo," she said in what was clearly fake concern. Leo had a sneaky suspicion she'd done this sort of thing way too many times. "My name is Miss Hill. I've got a few questions for you, then we'll be leaving."

"Where are we going?" Leo's voice was hoarse from lack of use.

"In a moment." She gestured to a chair. "Why don't you sit down?"

Leo sat.

Miss Hill asked him a bunch of random questions: his hobbies, his personality, how he behaved in certain normal situations.

After a good hour, she closed her folder and gestured to the wall behind Leo. "Can you stand here, please? We just need a photo."

"For what?" Leo asked as he stood and went over to the aforementioned wall.

"Your file," she said, pulling out a camera. "Smile, please."

Leo didn't smile. He loved pictures, always loving to put on the craziest grin. But he couldn't find the will to do it now.

Miss Hill took the picture anyway. It was a self-developing camera, so the picture immediately got spit out. She shook it a few times, examined it, and placed it in the file folder, keeping it there with a paperclip.

"Okay," she said. "Let's get to the car. We need to go."

"Where?" he asked again.

"To your designated foster home," she said with little emotion. "You'll be staying in foster care until a family adopts you."

Leo scrunched his eyebrows. "Huh? But…what about _my_ family? My grandma and grandpa…my aunt? My great uncles?"

This time the look Miss Hill gave him was genuinely sad. "I'm sorry, Leo…your aunt had custody of you, as the next of kin. She legally gave you up to the state. There's nothing you can do."

Gave him up to the state.

_Meaning she abandoned me_, Leo thought. He clenched and unclenched his fists. His eyes stung. Tears were about to fall. He wished he could curl up in a corner and die right then and there.

Miss Hill cleared her throat. "You'll be staying with the Sanchez family. They've got room for one more kid like you. They're a good home. And you're a good kid; you'll be adopted before you know it."

Leo didn't want to listen to this. He didn't want a new family. He knew they would just get tired of him, or find out about his fire power, and eventually _abandon_ him just like his supposed _real_ family.

Miss Hill gestured to the door. "Shall we go, Leo?"

The boy sighed and nodded mutely. He took up his bag of things—the only things from his time with his mom he had left in the whole world—and exited the police station.

Leo got into the social worker's car and looked outside sadly. He could see Aunt Rosa waiting at the bus stop. She had a proud look on her face, like she had just won the Olympics or something. She knew what she had done, and she was proud of it.

Leo scowled and looked away. He'd never forgive that woman for abandoning him like this.

Never.

* * *

_**A/N: I'm gonna go crawl in a corner and die now...**_

_**I promise, next chapter will be more upbeat and funny, to balance out what just happened here...**_

_***cries***_


	4. Crisis

**_Here's some humor to balance out that heart wrencher of a last chapter._**

**_This takes place between Kym's attack and the Apollo/Artemis visit in BoO._**

**_There's no specific POV, so it's gonna be random._**

**_And shirtless Leo is shirtless. You're welcome._**

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

**4: Crisis**

_No Laughing Matter_

"Everyone into the mess hall! Emergency! Emergency!"

Annabeth, Jason, Frank, Piper, and Hazel sleepily filed into the mess hall of the _Argo II_. Percy was standing inside, frantically opening the cupboards and refrigerator. He turned, saw the five teens, and frowned.

"Where's Leo?" he asked.

Jason yawned. "In the engine room, I think."

"Get him. This concerns him, too. This is a huge emergency that _everyone_ needs to know about!"

Frank grumbled and left for the engine room. It took a lot of bumping into walls, seeing as how it was early morning and everyone had been so kindly woken up by Percy, but eventually he stumbled into the steamy engine room.

Leo was curled up on top of a sleeping bag, a hammer still in his hand. He was only wearing bright blue boxers. His tool belt was lying nearby.

Frank didn't really need to see this. Leo was scrawny enough with his clothes on. Almost naked…he looked just embarrassing. Frank felt sorry for him.

He kicked Leo's leg, trying to look anywhere but down. "Get up, Valdez," he grunted.

Leo swung his hammer in alarm, gasping, "Wha? Who's attacking? What I need smash?" he slurred.

Frank rolled his eyes. "Percy's called an emergency meeting. Put some pants on and get to the mess hall."

He left before Leo could protest.

Five minutes later, Leo had arrived. He was half asleep, his hair still tangled (more so than usual), only wearing brown pants with suspenders donned over his bare torso. He wasn't wearing any shoes.

"Why," he yawned, "are we up at this ungodsly hour? Even Gaea wouldn't be up at five in the morning!"

"I'm with Leo," Hazel said, trying to avoid looking at Leo's scrawny body, a blush rising in her cheeks.

Percy opened the fridge and gestured inside. "What is _wrong_ with this picture?"

Annabeth rubbed her eyes. "Its light is out?" she observed.

"Dude, I'll fix that in the later morning," Leo whined.

"No," Percy yelled. "What's _not_ in this fridge?"

"Fruit?" Frank guessed.

"Milk?" offered Jason.

"Evil spirits that steal your left shoe?" Leo grumbled.

"ICE CREAM!" Percy howled. "There's no ice cream in the fridge!"

Everyone blinked at the son of Poseidon. Annabeth rubbed her temples. "So…let me get this straight. You woke us all up before Apollo's chariot even appeared in the sky…to tell us that there's no ice cream in the fridge?"

"Yes."

"I'm confused," Jason said. "We've eaten ice cream before, haven't we?"

"We had a few tubs in there," Leo explained. "I think Pipes ate the last of them when she and Hazel had a girlfriend session four nights ago. They both ate the tub of minty choco-supreme and watched sad chick-flicks. I could hear the tears falling from the control room!"

Piper smacked him. "Shut up." Then, she turned to Percy. "You do realize we have self-filling bowls and plates, right? You could just grab one of those and—"

"It's not the same!" Percy slammed the fridge door shut. "There's a difference in taste!"

"Seaweed Brain," Annabeth huffed. "The food in the self-filling plates taste exactly the same as the food you would eat anywhere else."

Leo coughed, rubbing the back of his neck and looking away. He had ordered cider and stew _plenty_ of times since leaving Ogygia, but it did not taste the same as when Calypso made it. He didn't say that out loud, though.

Percy flailed about. "We _need_ to get more ice cream!"

Leo ran a hand through his hair. "Dude, the ship's moving as fast as she can…more like she's _limping_ as fast as she can, mind you. When we dock, you can go get ice cream."

Piper winced. Leo sounded pretty agitated. "Why don't you go back to sleep?" she offered.

Leo threw his hands in the air. "No need! I'm up _now_. I'll go make sure the engine hasn't coughed up a hairball yet. She's been wheezing like crazy…"

He left, grumbling about wanting ice cream now. Hazel and Frank left as well, yawning.

Jason nodded to Percy. "I get where you're coming from, man, but you could have had a craving _after_ we made port."

He and Piper walked out.

Annabeth came up and softly smacked the back of Percy's head. "We're about to make port in Mykonos. We'll get Gelato there while we scout out for monsters. Okay?"

Percy groaned, but agreed. "Fine. But I still want ice cream…"

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Sucks for you, Seaweed Brain, if you don't want to eat out of the self-filling bowls. Now, can you let everyone sleep?"

"Nope." Percy grinned. "Not when there's a crisis at hand."

"That's not a crisis," Annabeth said, leaving the mess hall.

Percy yelled after her, "Ice cream shortages are no laughing matter!"

* * *

**_A/N: Because this is totally the reason Percy and Annabeth brought back Gelato before Leo, Hazel, and Frank went to see Apollo and Artemis._**

**_Fact._**


	5. Dream

**_Hey, here's a feels-sorta chapter._**

**_It's not meant to be sad, but I actually have no idea what to think of it now that I wrote it._**

**_This is meant for the _Papi_ Version Two universe, where BoO's ending happens and Leo and Calypso go off on their little European adventure. And never contact anyone back home :)_**

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

**5: Dream**

_Remember or Not, You'll Feel Better in the Morning_

Piper tossed and turned. She wanted to fall asleep, but…also _didn't_ want to fall asleep. Sleeping meant dreams and dreams meant—anything could happen.

The past few weeks after Gaea's defeat had been hard on everyone, especially the Seven. Chiron had allowed Piper and Annabeth to sleep in their respective boyfriend's cabins so the boys wouldn't be alone. It was hard to sleep alone so soon after combat, especially combat with a primordial goddess.

Piper sometimes had to comfort Jason in his sleep, charmspeaking him out of bad dreams. Sometimes he had to comfort her. She'd had some pretty nasty flashback dreams concerning Cyclopes, metal chickens, and a giant snake.

Then there were ones about Leo. She had dreamed of him exploding over and over, screaming in pain, his body coated in flames.

"Piper," Jason called from his bed. "Can't sleep?"

"No…" she said sadly.

"Scared to go to sleep again?"

"Yeah."

"Ma Gasket?"

"No."

"Gaea?"

"No."

"…Leo?"

Piper felt a tear streak down her face. She nodded mutely.

Jason came over into her bunk. He pulled her into a sitting position, hugged her gently from behind, and kissed her hair.

"Thanks," Piper mumbled.

"You can do this," he said. "It's okay. Everything's over now."

_Including him_, Piper thought. _Leo's life is over, too…_

Jason rocked her back and forth. The motion comforted her. "Sleep, Pipes…"

As if her boyfriend had charmspeak, Piper suddenly felt like sleeping was a good idea. She closed her eyes. Eventually she fell asleep.

* * *

_Piper found herself back in Greece. Not Athens, but some area she'd never been. A beautiful view overlooked a lovely beach. Tourists were flocking around, taking pictures, sunbathing, swimming…doing normal things._

_Piper spotted a beautiful girl in a white bikini sprawled out on a red towel. She looked a little flushed, like she was either burned or blushing._

_"Are you sure this is okay to wear?" the girl asked._

_"The other girls are in way skimpier bathing suits, Sunshine," came a boy's voice. "You look awesome."_

_Piper turned and saw a scrawny Latino boy in red swim trunks and flip flops. He was carrying two chocolate ice cream cones and smirking as if he were about to pull a prank. His curly black hair was waving around in the gentle sea breeze. Scars littered his skin, like he lost a fight with a blender in a few places._

_Piper wanted to cry. She'd know that imp anywhere. _Leo…_she thought. _Is that really you?

_She reached out to grab him, but her arm was wispy and ghost-like. She realized with a jolt that this was just a dream. It wasn't Leo—at least not anymore._ It's probably the past,_ she thought. _Leo said he was marooned with Calypso…maybe this is what he meant?

_Leo handed the girl a cone. She took it and said, "I just feel a little exposed, that's all."_

_Leo shrugged and sat down next to her. "It can take some getting used to. But you're fine. No one's gonna make fun of you or think any different. You're rockin' that bikini, Calypso!"_

_Calypso sighed and licked her ice cream. "If you say so."_

_Piper felt a tear trickle down her cheek. This was worse than watching Leo die over and over. She didn't want to see Leo like this. She didn't want to see his past!_

"It's not his past, dear."

_Piper whirled around and saw her mother tanning herself a few feet away. She had the skimpiest bikini on, revealing far more than Piper would have liked to see._

_"What?" Piper asked._

"This vision isn't about Leo's past, sweetie,"_ Aphrodite said. _"It's his present. What you're seeing is the day he's having right now in Greece."

_Piper's brain was frying under the sun. "That can't be right. Leo's…he's…he's _dead_!"_

_Aphrodite glanced over at the couple, who were laughing and smushing their ice creams in each other's faces. She smiled happily and waved her hand. A pink mist enveloped the couple. Their eyes glazed over a bit and they kissed passionately. The goddess giggled. _"That's better,"_ she said. _"Those two are so cute! They're my new OTP, for sure!"

_"Leo's _dead_," Piper screamed._

"Obviously not."

_"How?"_

_Aphrodite smiled at her daughter. _"How do you think, dear? You _did_ spend half your trip in Greece looking for the ingredients."

_Piper's jaw dropped. "He had the cure with him? How did—" Then she remembered. Festus. "Ah…"_

_She looked back at Leo and Calypso, who were still going at it. Did those two breathe? The pink mist was still surrounding them. Every time they stopped for air, the mist thickened and a lust lit up in their eyes._

"Whoops," _Aphrodite muttered. _"Little too heavy for a first date. Got to get this just right. They can't be doing anything like that until Leo's _at least_ 19."

_She waved her hand and the mist thinned out. Leo and Calypso stopped, breathing heavily. They smiled at each other._

_"Wow," Leo breathed. "Awesome."_

_Calypso smiled sheepishly. "I don't know where that came from," she admitted._

_Leo's nose scrunched up as he grinned. "I honestly don't care," he said. "That was so cool."_

_They kissed again—just a short peck. Leo sighed. "Please don't let this be a dream," he whispered._

_Calypso embraced him. "If it is, then it had better come true when I wake up."_

_Piper frowned at her mother. Aphrodite squealed in delight. _"What?"_ she questioned when Piper shook her head. _"I didn't do that! They're made for each other! That's why they say those things! They're adorable!"

_"I'm done," Piper snarled. "Mother, this isn't nice! Seeing Leo like this…Is he really alive?"_

"Of course, sweetie," _the goddess said. _"That's why I'm showing you. I don't want you to be suffering. I know you care for Leo, so I got permission to show you this little bit."

_Piper cried. Leo was alive…he was alive and well and…_

_…hadn't contacted them!?_

_"Why hasn't Leo gotten in touch?" Piper nearly screamed. "He is so dead when I get my hands on him!"_

"No, no. That poor young boy isn't doing too well at the moment. I've been tasked with keeping an eye on him."

_"Looks fine to me."_

"You know as well as I not all is as it appears with Leo Valdez—especially when it involves his emotions."

_Piper nodded. "Is he okay?"_

"Physically? Yes. Emotionally? Not really. I'm helping this relationship blossom so it will distract him from the pain of the war. Love is a great medicine."

_"I suppose. But when will he contact?"_

"When he is stable, which will take a while, according to Apollo—who, by the way, _suggested_ this treatment! I suggested the European holiday."

_"Excuse me?"_

"Never mind. The point is, he's recovering, so leave him alone."

_Piper felt her consciousness begin to slip. She knew she was about to wake up. "I'll probably hate myself for saying this, but…thanks Mom."_

_Aphrodite smiled. _"Anytime, dear. Just call me when you're feeling down again. Next time, I'll fix your outfits again."

* * *

Piper woke up feeling awful. She wanted to punch her mother for some reason. On the brighter side, she didn't feel so terrible about sleeping.

Jason stirred behind her. They both sat up, Jason rubbing his eyes. "Have a good night's sleep?" he asked sleepily.

"Yeah."

"Did you have a good dream?"

Piper racked her brain. _That's weird_, she thought. _I don't remember what happened…But it was something good about Leo? That's a change…usually it's bad. Why was it good, again?_

She shook her head, as if to shake the dream back to her brain.

"Piper?"

Jason was looking at her with concerned blue eyes. "Good dream or bad?"

Piper smiled. "For once, it was good. It was about Leo."

"Really? That was good?"

"Yeah," she said, feeling refreshed and relieved about Leo's death, even though she still couldn't remember the dream. "Yeah, I think it was…"

* * *

**_A/N: She won't remember exactly what happened, but she's getting over the tragedy that was Leo's death. Sweet, yes? Weird feelings, all around! :D_**


	6. Shooting Stars

_**A little kid Leo story for you. :3**_

_**Teensy short, so sue me.**_

_**Anyone notice how Leo is at least mentioned in every chapter so far? I'm gonna see how many I can include him in, whether directly or indirectly :D Wish me luck!**_

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

**6\. Shooting Stars**

_Once Super, and Future Hero_

"Mama, look! A shooting star!"

Esperanza Valdez looked up. Sure enough, a falling star was streaking across the sky. It fell under the waning Halloween moon, disappearing over the horizon.

Her son, Leo, hopped up and down, his cape fluttering. He was dressed as Batman. He had a little baterang and a bat-trike to roll around in. Because he was _Batman_.

"You gonna make a wish, _mijo_?" she asked her son.

The four-year-old cocked his head. "Make a wish?"

Esperanza nodded. "Yes. When you see a shooting star, you gotta make a wish. Scrunch up your face, close your eyes, and think of that wish with all your heart.

His eyes sparkled. "Will it come true?"

"Maybe."

Leo closed his eyes. His nose scrunched up and he stuck his tongue out in the cutest way. He hummed to himself for a few seconds, then opened his eyes.

"'Kay," he announced. "I made a wish!"

"What was it?"

"I'm not a'sposed to tell you, Mama," he complained. "It's like my birthday wish, right? If I tell it won't come true!"

Esperanza chuckled. "Of course, but for shooting stars you can always tell the person you love most. The star won't mind."

Leo smiled. "I love you most!"

"Then what'd you wish for?"

Leo grinned cheekily and stuck out his tongue. "Not telling!"

He hopped on his Bat-trike and began wheeling away. Esperanza rolled her eyes and strolled after him. "Leo, _mijo_, don't run off like that. Halloween is a busy night. There are a lot of kids running around!"

Leo ignored her and kept rolling. He was singing the Batman theme song (pretty badly, but hey, he was four) as he sped away.

A group of teenagers suddenly cut in front of Esperanza. "Excuse me," she said. "Please let me through. My son is over there."

After a few minutes, the teens were gone.

But so was Leo.

"Leo?" she called. She looked around at the houses. There were trick-or-treaters at the doors, but none of them were a four-year-old Latino Batman. "Leo! _Mijo_, where are you?"

"Meow."

"Pearl, come down!"

Esperanza looked up. A white tabby cat was perched precariously on the branch of a tree above her. It was dressed as a princess, with a cone hat and everything. It did not look very happy about it, either. Its tail was fluffed up.

A little girl in a similar princess costume was wailing at the base of the tree, urging the cat to come down.

"I got 'er!"

Esperanza gasped as a tiny Mexican Batman appeared out of nowhere on a lower branch. He threw his baterang to the next branch and began using the attached rope (where had he gotten the rope?!) to climb up higher.

"Leo!" Esperanza screamed. "What are you doing?"

"Saving the princess!" he yelled in triumph.

"Why!?"

Leo looked down, his big brown eyes shining behind his cowl and mask. "I'm Batman!"

Esperanza facepalmed. _No,_ she thought. _No, no, no, no!_

Leo had reached Princess Pearl's branch. The cat hissed in alarm as Latino Batman began crawling towards it. Esperanza yelled, "Leo, stop! You're going to fall!"

The boy ignored her cries as he went further. The branch began to bend. Even though Leo was four, he was still too heavy for the small branch that was barely able to hold the cat!

Esperanza's heart froze when a crackling sound split the air. The branch snapped in half and the cat and Leo fell. The girl screamed. Esperanza screamed, too, holding out her hands to catch her son.

Leo landed in her arms, safe and sound. Two seconds later, the cat landed in his lap. It meowed questioningly, like, _are you crazy, kid?_

Leo giggled and pet the cat. "Good kitty," he said. "I saved you!"

The little girl ran up. "You saved Pearl!"

Leo grinned. "Yup! 'Cause I'm Batman!"

The cat jumped down and rubbed up against the girl. She smiled and picked up her cat. "Thank you, Batman," she said before running off.

Leo looked up at Esperanza. Before he could say anything, she set him down and pulled on his ear. He cried out in alarm.

"Don't _ever_ do anything like that," she scolded. "If I wasn't here you could have broken your neck! What were you thinking?"

Leo looked a little crestfallen. "That I was Batman?" he tried.

Esperanza resisted the urge to smack his behind. "_Mijo_, it's a costume. You aren't really..."

His eyes watered. "But...that was my wish!"

"Your wish?"

"Uh-huh," he whined. "I wished on the star! I wished I could be Batman once!"

The single mother blinked at her son. Then, she softened her gaze and patted his head. "Your wish was to be a superhero?"

"Yes."

She sighed. "Fine. I'll let you off this _one_ time. Only because you were Batman when you rescued that cat."

"Yay!" he screamed.

"But no more," she warned. "You only got to be Batman once, understand?"

"Okay," Leo said, nodding.

"Promise you won't act like Batman again?"

"Promise."

She smiled. "Then let's go see if we missed any houses."

He took her hand and they walked down the street to continue their trick-or-treating. Esperanza looked up at the sky and saw another shooting star. She closed her eyes for a moment and made a wish.

_Please_, she wished. _I wish...I wish that if my son was going to do stupid things...let him have a better reason than wanting to be a superhero._

* * *

**_A/N: Like (BOO SPOILER) sacrificing himself to defeat Gaea and rescue Calypso? That's a better reason than thinking he's Batman, right? 0:)_**


	7. Mist

_**So, I'm going to post this in the 100 One Shot Challenge **_**and_ Adventures in Parenting because both stories are one shot feature stories and this one shot fits both of them. Chapter Seven for both :3_**

**_For Parenting, I'll update that again shortly with either a Bobby or Espie chapter, depending on if I want Leo or Percy to be showcased as the silly parent. Trust me, it's really hard to choose which one should do it xD_**

**_For the 100 OSC, this totally counts, cause this is a one shot and fits within the Mist category._**

**_I might do this sharing thing again, since both stories feature one shots._**

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

**_7: Mist_**

_Such a Stinker!_

**_*~Feat. Augustus Zhang~*_**

Hazel sighed and pinched her eyebrows together. "Augustus Lee Zhang," she said in an authoritative tone, "What in the world…?"

Her three-year-old grinned at her cheekily. "What?" he asked innocently.

Frank crossed his arms across his chest. "Take a look at yourself, son."

Gus turned around in a tight circle. He was 100% _completely_ covered in dirt, grass, and what Hazel hoped was mud. Most of that dirt and mud had been tracked inside when Gus had walked proudly into the living room, where Hazel and Frank _had_ been sitting. He grinned, his teeth dirty as well. "Mud!"

"Oh, yes," Hazel said. "I can see that. How did that happen?"

Gus spread his hands and smiled. "Sammy and me had a mud fight!"

"Oh really," Hazel sighed. She turned in the direction of the front door, which was in the other room. "Sammy," she called. "Get in this house!"

"Um," came a squeaky voice. "I don't think that'd be a good idea."

Frank rolled his eyes and left. Hazel heard him trump through the hall, then moments later a yell split through the air. "Oh, good gods! What in Pluto's name is _wrong_ with you?"

Within a minute, Frank came back in with his arm outstretched. In his hand he held Sammy Leo by the collar of his shirt. Sammy was _somehow_ even dirtier than Gus! His black curls were completely brown now. The only bit of him that wasn't brown were his golden eyes, which wouldn't meet Hazel's own.

Frank gently shook him like he was a kitten. "Explain yourself," he growled.

"Uh," Sammy whined. "We had a mud fight."

"Obviously," Frank said, shaking him a little more. It was gentle, but because Sammy hadn't grown too big, even as a ten-year-old, it looked like Frank was shaking an oversized doll. "But we wanna know why."

"In my defense," Sammy said, "Mr. Valdez started it."

"Yay!" Gus cheered. "Mister Valdess said we should fight! We played _Mud Ball_! We played with Essie, Tui, an' Aria, too!"

Hazel shook her head. "I really wish Leo would grow up."

"That'll be the day Tartarus stops spawning monsters," Frank chuckled.

"So," Hazel began. "Sammy, when you're done with your bath, you'll be cleaning up this muddy mess Gus started."

"But why," he whined.

"You are a member of the Legion," she said. "You've been a good role model for your brother for three straight years. What _possessed_ you to think the Valdezes had a good idea?"

"Espie has good ideas," Sammy Leo mumbled.

Frank carried him to the upstairs bathroom before he could protest further.

Hazel turned to Gus. "And _you_…you are one dirty boy. Time for a bath."

Gus's eyes widened. "Don't wanna bath!"

Hazel grabbed him and dragged him to the bathroom. "You're gonna get a bath, you stinky baby! Come on—"

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Sammy Leo was squeaky clean and beginning to scrub the floors. He had gotten a bath easily enough.

Gus, however…

The little devil was running around naked through the house.

He had been dragged to the bathroom peacefully, but as soon as Hazel had filled the tub, he had shot off in protest. Even though he was dirty, the child was slipperier than a fish! Frank had once or twice grabbed him, but Gus had wiggled out of his father's grasp within seconds.

The mud was absolutely _everywhere_! Sammy instantly complained when Gus shot through the hall. Now the muddy child had dirtied up the whole first floor, and was well hidden somewhere. He would not come out until the water had gone away.

Frank walked up to Hazel and whispered, "Got a plan for this sneaky Roman?"

Hazel nodded. "He wants the water gone? Let me make it disappear."

She went to the bathroom and waved her hand. Instantly, the water disappeared. It hadn't gone anywhere, but she had made it seem like the tub was empty now by bending the Mist around it. She smiled at Frank, who had followed. "Alakazam," she said playfully.

Frank grinned. "Okay, Gus," he called out. "You win! The tub's empty now; you can come out!"

A dirty, muddy face peeked out from behind a plant in the hall. Hazel wanted to smack herself; Gus was so dirty he blended in with the flora! "No water?" he asked tentatively.

"See for yourself." Hazel gestured to the bathroom, making sure to keep bending the Mist.

The three-year-old shyly got out from behind the plant and shuffled slowly down the hall. He eyed his parents warily, careful to avoid their hands. Hazel silently communicated with Frank to not prematurely grab him; he might run again.

Gus went into the bathroom and sidled over to the tub. He peered over the edge, not tall enough to just look down yet. As he stood there on his tip-toes, Hazel crouched down. She put her hand on his legs and pulled upward. Gus screeched in alarm and fell into the tub headfirst.

The Mist instantly dissipated. The clean water turned brown in a single spot-the spot where Gus had fallen in.

Frank closed the door and cried out, "Victory!"

Gus popped his head out of the water and pouted. "No fair! Mama used magic!"

"You wanted the water gone," Hazel explained. "I made it disappear."

As Hazel began scrubbing the dirty child, Gus mumbled murderously. Frank stuck his head out of the bathroom.

"Sammy," he called. "Make sure to get the rest of the mud in the house, too!"

"I didn't make that mess!" came Sammy's squeaky protest.

"No, but you allowed it to happen by letting Leo bring you into that idiotic game," Hazel shot back. "And you can bet I'm going to go over to the Valdezes later and kick Leo's butt for suggesting to do that in the first place!

* * *

**_A/N: La-de-da :D Dirty Gus and Dirty Sammy._**

**_Sammy has been in the legion since he was eight, and he's a very mature ten-year-old. But even he can succumb to the contagious dumb that is Leo._**


	8. Hopeless

_**Okay, I've always wanted to know what Leo was thinking right after Ogygia in HoH. Now, a great author called shadoefax did this, too, which inspired me to write my own version. So, you can thank the One-Shot story by said author, ****Oaths Sworn on the River Styx. You can find it in my Favorite Stories section on my pro, published on Oct 14, 2013. It's beautiful, and I hope mine turns out as good :)**_

_**Enjoy.**_

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

**9: Hopeless**

_"You Look Better With a Smile."_

It actually took a while for Leo to fall asleep. Sure, it was still dark when he'd left Ogygia, and that alone was sometimes able to make Leo sleepy. But now…

After that kiss and swearing to come back…Leo couldn't do anything but look at the sky. The stars in the Milky Way were bright and clear, and the ocean was silvery-blue because of their light. He kept tracing the stars with his finger, mapping out a fake constellation that looked just like Calypso.

He was hopeless.

Leo finally succumbed to sleep after a few hours of sitting in the gentle waves. He dreamed of Calypso. Of her cider and stew. Of how great they worked together and how easy it felt to talk with her. Of her kiss. He dreamed he'd never left; that him leaving was the dream and that he still had all the time in the world with her.

He was hopeless.

The rising sun was what pulled Leo out of his sleep. It was in his eyes and he scrunched up his face in annoyance when it interrupted his dreams of Ogygia.

"Go away, sun," he grumbled, curling into himself tightly.

The waves were still gentle as Leo's raft drifted across the sea. He supposed Poseidon was being kind for once since Leo was in such a state.

Leo's navigation device was working like a charm. A tiny motor propelled his raft slowly, and the sail caught a decent wind.

Even though he had food enough to last him a week, Leo didn't eat. He wasn't hungry. He didn't want to move, either. All of his usual hyperactive energy was completely gone. The moment Calypso kissed him was the moment he couldn't function.

Because he was hopeless.

The day went by, and before Leo knew it, night showed up. The stars came back and he found himself tracing Calypso's face in them again. The sea was still gentle as he propelled along. Leo rolled a couple oranges into the water and prayed Poseidon would keep up the good mood.

Eventually Leo found sleep again, and, surprise, surprise, he began to dream of Calypso. Even in his dream, he hoped he could just wake up back on that beach, under the lean-to, and smile at the Titaness as she brought him breakfast. He wanted to stay in that state so much.

Because he was hopeless.

Something prodded his cheek. Leo opened his eyes.

He was drifting against a dock, bumping against a wooden pillar. On the dock was a fisherman, poking at Leo with a pole and speaking in rapid Greek. Leo lifted his head and rubbed his eyes.

"_Que?_" he asked, not realizing he was speaking Spanish. "_No entiendo. Por favor, hable Inglés ..._"

The man kept poking him and speaking in Greek. Leo sat up and stretched, finally registering where he was. He pulled a rope from the sail and tied his raft against the dock. When he hopped off the raft and onto the solid wood, he wobbled.

_Geeze,_ he thought. _Land legs, much?_

The fisherman helped steady him, saying things he didn't understand.

"_Por favor—_" Leo smacked himself and switched to English. "Sorry…Do you speak English?"

The man nodded. "You are alright?"

Leo nodded and patted his pockets. "Uh…how much to dock here?"

The man looked at the makeshift raft and shrugged. "Too small. Free for one time."

Leo smiled. "Thanks."

He walked off the dock. It was early morning, so not many people were out and about.

Of course his mind wandered back to Ogygia again, but he tried to focus on what he was doing. He needed a high vantage point—somewhere he could see the _Argo II_ if it came by.

He knew he should be worried for his ship and his friends, like he had been right after he'd fallen out of the sky…but he couldn't find the energy. He felt out of sync with the world, still reeling and confused.

Because he was so hopeless.

Finally, Leo found a small outdoor café on top of a hill overseeing the harbor. It would be the perfect look-out spot, and there was a little hotel nearby in case this was an overnight stay. Though, he didn't have enough money for more than a decent meal…good thing he wasn't above sleeping in an alley—just for emergency, of course.

He picked a table and looked at the menu. Everything looked weird to him. He wasn't particularly great in Greek—ironic, considering his occupation—but that was probably because he already switched between two other languages regularly, plus Morse Code! There wasn't enough room for Greek in his head!

A waiter came over and asked him something in Greek and Leo resisted a groan. He tried to decipher the written Greek, since his brain might click faster in that instance. He saw something that looked suspiciously like coffee.

He tried not to grimace. Coffee was not something he liked for various reasons. It didn't smell good (like he did on a normal basis?), it tasted terrible, and it made him more hyper than usual—

"I'll take a coffee?" he said, hoping the guy understood.

The waiter noticed the English and asked, "How would you like it?"

"Black."

The waiter wrote that down. "Anything else?"

"Just the coffee, please."

"Of course."

He left Leo alone for a few minutes. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair once. He needed a spark to get his fire going again. He was still out of sync, still reeling, still confused, and still feeling sad. All of those years building up the perfect walls to hide his pain, ripped away with a single good-bye kiss that '_didn't happen_'. He'd used his hyperactivity to mask his hurt. Now…he couldn't find the energy to keep everything up.

Because he was so hopeless.

Moments later, Leo had a coffee in his hand, sipping on it quietly. Obviously it didn't do anything right away. He figured it worked like sugar; give it a few minutes to really kick in.

It never did.

Leo just kept drinking it, getting refills, and drinking again. None of his old energy came back. It was because his mind wandered to Calypso on Ogygia. He wanted so much to rescue her. He wouldn't stop until he knew she was safely off that stupid, terrible, beautiful island. He touched his lips gently, wishing that he could kiss Calypso again.

Because he was oh, so hopeless.

A couple hours and about five cups of coffee later, the _Argo II_ came into view and docked near Leo's makeshift raft. Soon, his friends would find him. And he was still melancholic. He'd pretty much resigned himself to not getting his groove back today. Maybe once he got back on the ship the coffee would kick in. Maybe…

He sighed and looked at his reflection in the murky brown liquid. His eyes were drifting and sad. Within seconds his reflection changed. Calypso was staring back at him, scrunching up her nose in annoyance. He could just hear her scolding him; _"Stop being so sad, you idiot! You're not funny, but you look better with a smile!"_

Leo smirked a little at the thought. She _would_ say something like that.

Then he frowned, because he wanted her to say that in real life. He drank away her image and looked at the clouds, also seeing her there. He wanted so much to return to her, it hurt his heart. He felt a tear run down his face, missing Ogygia and its single inhabitant.

Because he was oh, so hopeless.

"Leo!"

Leo heard Jason's voice and scrubbed away the tear. Just in time, for just as he set his arm down, Jason and Piper came running up the hill, smiles on their faces.

Leo tried to grin. He really did. But, his heart wasn't in it. Even when everyone was surrounding him, all he could manage was a tiny smile for Piper and Hazel. The tiny amount of energy he got from hearing of Festus's permanent activation didn't last too long, but it was enough to make him put up the barriers again.

Then they started probing him about where he'd gone, and he got nervous. When he tried to convince them he was back, he knew no one believed him. But he had to try. He was glad Jason picked up and, like the best friend that he was, shifted the focus off of Leo.

When they returned to the _Argo II_, Leo immediately went to the engine room, shutting himself inside. While fixing the engine, his mind, what a surprise, wandered. Leo's mind was now miles away. He kept thinking about how great he and Calypso worked together, how perfectly in-sync they were when making the navigation device, how awesome her kiss was, and how much he wanted—no, _needed_ to return to set her free.

Because he was oh, so hopeless…

Hopelessly in love with an immortal girl named Calypso.

* * *

**_A/N: Hope that turned out as great as it was in my head. That one was a little tougher to write for some reason. Oh well..._**


	9. Rose

**_Psh, this came out of nowhere. I thought I didn't have an actual V-Day fic in me, since it's one of my least favorite holidays, but NOPE._**

**_Decided to mix up the numbers, hope you'll forgive me. Obsession was supposed to be next, but since it's Valentine's Day, I thought I'd switch it with Roses. I've never done a Reyna POV before, so this should be interesting._**

**_I'm a fan of Leyna, so I'll be basing my interpretation of her off those awesome Leyna fics on the site. I never really got a chance to get into her character in BoO, but maybe that was because Nico and Leo took all my attention xD_**

**_I put in a secret shout-out to one of the series I like at the beginning. Can you guess what it is?_**

**_PS: You all fail miserably just as much as I do, because NO ONE has corrected me on a big mistake I made in the last chapter. I didn't see it until about a few days ago, and by then I was like, lol NOPE not gonna fix it._**

**_Cookies to whoever figures out what that mistake was :3_**

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

**9: Rose**

_Bold, Charming, and Can Handle a Death Glare_

Reyna sat outside a café in San Francisco, sipping calmly on her iced tea and reading a fantasy novel about a preserve of magical creatures. She checked her watch, trying not to groan at how her day was going.

She hated Valentine's Day. Okay, granted, it was a few days away, but every corner of San Fran was already anticipating the holiday. All the couples running around trying to make reservations for fancy restaurants, buying stuffed animals and chocolates to store for later, trying to set up dates for their friends…even in New Rome, things got crazy—mostly because the children of Venus wouldn't allow anyone to be without a partner on this _most sacred of days_.

The _only_ reason Reyna had gotten away this long was because she had been praetor and always had some sort of excuse to not participate.

But this year, she had retired to New Rome as a councilmember. This year, the 26-year-old was eligible for the children of Venus to set her up on a blind date.

She'd tried to avoid their attention. She really had. But because of a certain gods-damned son of Hephaestus, they turned their attention to her.

Leo Valdez, the 25-year-old fire user, had been visiting New Rome to fix Reyna's automaton dogs. He was the only one who could fix them without losing a limb. While in New Rome, the idiot had let it slip that Reyna was pretty much the only one of the big heroes that didn't have someone to cling to for the day of love. Word had spread fast, and Reyna woke that day to find many daughters of Venus chasing her down to probe her with 'dream boyfriend' questions.

Naturally, Reyna decided to spend the day in San Francisco. If she got into trouble, she'd defend herself or her dogs would come to her aid.

"Mind if I sit down?"

Reyna looked up to see a young man in a purple polo shirt and khaki pants standing across the table from her. He seemed like a common Southern California guy, with windswept blonde hair and sparkling brown eyes.

She glanced around and noticed no other tables were available, so she nodded. "Go ahead."

He sat down and smiled. "Thanks. I'm Vincent." He held out his hand.

Reyna shook it, giving his hand a firm squeeze. "Reyna."

When she released his hand, he gingerly shook it. "Strong grip you got there, Reyna," he said.

She didn't answer him, turning back to her book. She smirked at how the satyrs in the book acted much like the fauns in New Rome, trying to barter for things without giving up their riches.

Vincent sipped on a latte he'd ordered, not taking his brown eyes off of her. She tried to ignore how he sized her up, but for some reason couldn't.

"Did you want something?" she huffed, still not taking her eyes off the book.

"Your phone number?"

Okay, so he was _that_ kind of guy…

Reyna rolled her eyes. "I don't have a phone."

Vincent chuckled. "I don't quite believe that. _Everyone_ has a cellphone these days."

Reyna gave him a glare, determined to scare him off. "Not everyone."

Strangely, the glare didn't faze him. Vincent smirked and sipped on his latte. Reyna narrowed her eyes. Normal mortals usually didn't last long under her stare. Even demigods and legacies couldn't stay under it. Only monsters had the strength to stand under her gaze.

_Is this guy a monster?_ Reyna thought. _If he is, that's a good disguise._

Vincent tilted his head. "What's with the glare? Did I make you mad?"

_Yes._ "No. That's just my normal stare."

"Well it doesn't suit you," he remarked. "I bet you'd look cuter with a smile."

Reyna cocked an eyebrow. "If you're trying to flirt, it isn't working."

"I'm just trying to stir up a conversation." Vincent checked his watch. "I've still got a few minutes to spare before I go back into work."

Reyna put her book down, resigning herself to this fate. "And what is it you do, exactly?"

"I teach at CCSF," he said casually. "Theatre Arts professor."

Reyna hummed in response. "Interesting."

"What do you mean?"

"I would have taken you for some rich man that works or plays at some sort of golf course."

Vincent laughed. It felt infectious, and Reyna had to fight back laughing herself. "Is it the polo?" he asked. "Or my hair?"

"Perhaps both, but then again, I'm not really interested in you enough to care."

"Ouch!" Vincent put a hand over his heart. "That hurt, Reyna. You can be harsh."

"I get that a lot," she said, mirroring his casual tone from earlier.

He smiled. Then, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a card. "I have to go," he said. "But…if you wanna talk some more, here's my card."

Reyna took the card. It was a normal business card. On the front was a picture of a comedy and tragedy mask over a blooming rose. On the back, it said:

**_Professor Vincent Rose_**

**_City College of San Francisco Theatre &amp; Arts Dept._**

**_Director, Choreographer, Acting Coach_**

**_Cell: (xxx) xxx-xxxx Work: (xxx) xxx-xxxx Home: (xxx) xxx-xxxx_**

Vincent had left by the time she looked up again. He was walking down the street, trying to hail a cab.

Reyna pocketed the card, paid for her tea, and left. Vincent was pretty brave for keeping himself steady under her glare. And she supposed he was pretty handsome, too. But, she shrugged it off.

_He's just a mortal man,_ she thought. _It's not like I'll see him again…_

* * *

Of course, she'd been wrong. The day before Valentine's Day, she met up with Vincent Rose again.

The Venus girls were getting more anxious. They tried cornering Reyna many times, so she decided to evade them in San Francisco. She didn't know where to go, so she decided to explore.

Eventually, she made it to the City College of San Francisco. Her curiosity got the better of her, and she decided to look in on Vincent while he worked. It wasn't because she liked him or anything. She was just bored.

When she got to the theatre, she saw a bunch of college students on stage. Many of them were dressed in togas, some just casually. A few students were in the front rows, sewing some more costumes. Reyna spotted Vincent upstage, teaching the ones on stage some dance moves.

He was twirling, stepping, jumping and prancing around like he was drunk. "One, two, three," he called. "Step out the leg like this when you get there, okay Angela?"

One of the girls nodded.

Some students were laughing as Vincent strutted around. Reyna suppressed a smile watching him be an idiot. A few steps later, and the students had joined in, laughing and acting silly.

Vincent glanced over at Reyna seated in the very back, squinted, and smiled. "You guys keep practicing. I'll be right back."

He hopped off the stage and trotted up the stairs to meet Reyna. "I didn't think you'd actually come to see me."

"Neither did I," she replied coolly. "But I was bored."

He grinned. "Well, thank you for letting me see your beautiful face again."

Reyna glanced over at the college students. "What kind of play are you doing?"

"_A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum_," he answered. "It's one of my favorites."

Reyna raised an eyebrow. "Why would you like that play?"

"Maybe I like Roman history and mythology," he said. "I always get inspiration for acting styles from ancient Roman theatre."

Reyna was surprised. "I never would have taken you for a Roman enthusiast."

"To be fair," Vincent said, "you barely know me."

"True."

"So…how about we get to know each other better? Say, dinner?"

Reyna gave him a suspicious look. "Aren't you moving a little fast?"

"Maybe, but you seem like that kinda girl who doesn't like to wait around."

Reyna actually allowed a smile. "Fine. I'll humor you. When and where for dinner?"

Vincent put on a thinking face. "I know a great Mexican place a few blocks from here. _Fiesta Del Fuego_. I know it isn't special, but it's all I can think of at the moment."

"That's fine," she said. "I don't mind Mexican. Tomorrow, then?"

He grinned. "Aw, a special date on Valentine's Day? Trying to be romantic?"

She frowned. "Ignore the date and just be there," she said, turning around to leave.

"Should I pick you up?" Vincent called, trying to follow.

"No," she said flatly. "I know where that place is. I'll meet you there at 7 tomorrow."

He smiled sweetly. "Okay. See you then."

She walked away, but not before hearing him whisper-exclaim, "YES!"

* * *

On Valentine's Day, Audrey, a daughter of Venus, tapped her foot outside councilmember Reyna's house in New Rome. She'd been waiting there for hours, since 5 PM. It was now 10 PM. She'd been told by the other children of Venus not to leave until she delivered a message to the former praetor.

Finally, Reyna came into view. She was dressed simply enough, in a nice red blouse and black pants. She had her hands behind her back, with a smile on her face.

Audrey intercepted her. "There you are! Where have you been?"

Reyna rolled her eyes. "In San Francisco."

"Why were you there?"

"Is that any of your business?" Reyna snapped. "What is it you want, anyway?"

Audrey cleared her throat. "Um, councilwoman, I'm here on behalf of my fellow Venus children. We may have failed to give you a chance at love this Valentine's Day, but just know we won't give in so easily. We want you to be happy with someone."

Reyna scowled. "I don't need you Venus children butting into my life. If I find a love, it'll be through my own doing, not yours. Please refrain from bothering me about this again."

As she entered her abode, Audrey called, "We won't give in, Reyna! You deserve to love! We'll make sure to find your true love, whoever he is!"

Reyna slammed the door in her face before Audrey could say any more. When she did, Reyna took a breath and smiled at what she had in her hands.

"They can run themselves ragged trying to find a man for me," she murmured to herself. "I don't think they'll find him in New Rome."

She crossed to the kitchen, taking out a vase and filling it with water. She placed the rose she had brought home into it and Vincent's business card onto the counter.

She smiled. Vincent was actually a nice guy. Sweet, charming, a fan of Roman mythology…and he could handle Reyna's glares, which was better than most men. He actually had the audacity to make her laugh, so that put him high on Reyna's Like List. They seemed to share many interests, too. Getting to know him had been a good idea, she realized.

He'd given her a rose at the end of the date. "Something to remember me by," he'd said before departing. They'd decided to have another shot at a date later that week at the theater to watch Kingsman. She'd protested at the idea of seeing Fifty Shades of Grey on Valentine's week. He agreed and they settled for the Secret Service movie instead.

Reyna traced her fingers around the rose's petals. "Maybe I could get Leo to make me a monster-free cellphone," she mused happily. "I think I might need to call someone soon…"

* * *

**_A/N: I have now claimed this ridiculousness in the name of REYCENT (or Vinna, not sure which I want to call the ship)_**

**_I feel silly for even writing this, but it happened and I can't do anything about it. I wanted Reyna to have some sort of love interest eventually and the final product came out to be Vincent._**

**_Yes, I totes put that _A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum_ in there. xD Fun Fact: I've never seen that play. I want to, though. I just thought it would be appropriate for Vincent to like a Roman play, especially when he falls for a Roman demigod. I'm so silly._**

**_Happy Singles Awareness Day, everyone._**

**_Or Valentine's Day, whatever._**


	10. Dream Catcher

_**Eh, not too fond of this one. I wanted to get past it, so that's why it's so short and bleh-like.**_

_**Also, who else could guess I was gonna do a Grace family thing with the Dream Catcher prompt? Probably everyone xD**_

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

**10: Dream Catcher**

_They Be Cool_

Mark Grace shook a colorfully-wrapped box excitedly. The six-year-old had opened three presents so far on this awesome Christmas Day—a new eagle t-shirt from his dad, Jason; a box set of Deltora Quest from his mother, Piper; and of course…a brand, spankin-new Nintendo 3DS made monster-free from Mr. Valdez. This next gift was from Mr. and Mrs. Zhang.

"Well, go on and open it," Jason prompted. "You've got a lot more presents from Mom and I after you open Frank and Hazel's."

"He's fine," Piper said. "There's no rush. It's Christmas."

Mark ripped up the wrapping paper and opened the box. Inside was a cool remote control dragon with a pack of ten batteries.

Piper groaned. "That dragon's gonna keep us from sleeping, isn't it?"

Jason chuckled. "I'll call Frank and electrocute him over the phone, if you'd like."

"Please."

At that moment, a knock on their hotel room door sounded. To clarify, every year the Seven and their families switched between spending Christmas together in New Athens (or maybe somewhere special for vacation) and spending it with their respective families. This year, it was the latter. Annabeth and Percy would be spending Christmas with Sally and Paul (maybe Dr. Chase if he could spare the time to travel), Frank and Hazel would spend it in Canada at Frank's old estate (with or without his grandmother, they still would go to pay respect), Leo and Calypso would sometimes go to Houston to visit Leo's mother's grave, and Jason and Piper would come visit Hollywood to spend Christmas with Tristan McLean.

Speaking of whom, as soon as Jason answered the door, the super star from Hollywood stepped through the threshold, grinning from ear to ear and holding a few big presents in his hand.

"Grandpa!" Mark shouted, rushing over to the man and hugging his grandfather. That surprised the older man into dropping all the presents.

"Look how big you're getting!" Tristan cried, picking up the six-year-old and setting him down after a minute. He looked at Jason and grinned, his perfect white teeth shining. "What do you think, Jason? Lookin' more and more like his granddad every day."

Jason rolled his eyes. "He looks more like his mom to me."

"Where do you think his mom got her good looks from?"

"From Grandma," Mark said happily. "Mommy said so!"

Tristan frowned. "Okay, well, I can't argue that. Your grandma _was_ a real looker."

Piper came up and hugged her father happily. "Glad you could make it, Dad."

"I managed to talk my director into givin' me a few hours." He held up the boxes he'd dropped earlier. "I brought presents!"

Mark grabbed a few, not caring who they were meant for, and scuttled away to the lounge part of the hotel room. The adults moved behind him more slowly.

Soon enough, everyone was opening presents again. Mark had gotten a pair of roller skates, one of two presents from his grandfather. He was already tearing open the second gift.

Piper turned to Tristan. "Please tell me it's not something loud and obnoxious, Dad."

Tristan winked. "I got him something my dad gave me when I was his age."

"An Indian headdress and handmade lanyards?"

"You're so funny, Pipes."

"What is this?" Mark asked, holding up a circle with webbed string in the middle, decorated with beads and feathers.

"That," Tristan explained, "is a dream catcher."

Mark shook it around. "What's it do?"

Piper giggled. "It catches bad dreams, Mark. You hang it over your head when you go to bed and the bad dreams get caught in it."

"Won't that make them stay with me?"

Tristan chuckled. "Smart boy," he said. "Y'know, there's an old Indian legend your great grandpa told me about these dream catchers. There was a man—a leader of a tribe—who went up a mountain on a spiritual journey."

"Which mountain?" Mark asked.

"Doesn't matter. On that mountain, he met Iktomi, a wise trickster in the form of a spider. The trickster wove a web in a circle and instructed the man to weave similar items for his people while teaching them to do the same. Iktomi said that both light and dark forces can enter people's dreams. With a dream catcher, the light forces would be caught, allowing the dark ones to slip away and burn up. Without the light, the dark would simply die."

"Cool," Mark said.

"Very," the star agreed. "So, Iktomi said that by teaching his people how to make dream catchers, the man would be allowing them to achieve bright futures. The dream catchers would capture all the good dreams that the winds of the night blew their way."

"Why would a trickster give the chief something good like that?" Jason asked.

Tristan shrugged. "You ever meet Iktomi, why don't you ask him? Maybe he asked for something in return and the story teller didn't think it was worth mentioning."

Piper cleared her throat. "Pardon me, Dad, but there's something about that story I don't get."

"What?"

"That's a Lakota legend," Piper clarified. "We're Cherokee."

Tristan grinned. "I like to think their version is cooler. It was either that or the Ojibwe version of an old woman with a spider over her bed weaving every night. The dream catcher came from them but the Lakota version's cooler. I think it's the same as the Cherokee version, anyway, isn't it?"

She shrugged. "Whatever."

Tristan looked at Mark. "It's still cool, though, isn't it, Sora?"

Mark grinned. "Totally! Can I go put it above my bed now, Mom?"

Piper nodded. "Go ahead. What do we say to Grandpa?"

Mark ran over and hugged his grandfather. "Thanks, Grandpa!"

That night, and every night since for years, Mark had good dreams. It was only when he forgot to put the catcher in the Aphrodite Cabin when he was twelve when he _conveniently_ started having the stupid demigod/legacy dreams.

To Mark, it only confirmed the magical-ness of his grandfather's gift (even if he'd bought it at a gift shop somewhere) and made his Cherokee heritage cooler.

* * *

**_A/N: Aaaand I gave up on that ending. Enjoy that for now. I've got something better for the next one. I promise._**

**_Dream catchers are awesome, okay? I had one for a long time until around high school...or maybe it was when I moved into a new room in the house...hard to say._**


	11. Blue

_**Apparently I can't make Obsession work at the moment. This chapter started out that way, but then I thought, 'eh, Blue works better' so viola!**_

_**Obsession is now switched with Blue, so you won't be seeing the Obsession prompt for a while.**_

_**Anywho, this little bugger takes place between TLH and MoA.**_

_**I've never done a Sally thing, and I figured you guys would want her in here eventually. So, here you go!**_

_**Also, I hope you enjoy what I did with her and Paul.**_

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

**11: Blue**

_A Traditional Obsession for a Great Family_

Leo didn't know what to make of the Jackson-Blofis household. He didn't even know why he decided to come to this place.

Then he looked at Annabeth and remembered how she'd threatened him. It was mid-March, and Leo was over halfway done with the _Argo II_. He spent every waking hour in Bunker Nine, doing nearly everything himself. He'd skipped many meals, lost a lot of sleep, and avoided everyone as much as he could. Apparently that was bad for his health, because one moment he was hammering away at the joints that attached Festus to the bow, the next he was waking up with an Apollo camper leaning over him with nectar and ambrosia.

Chiron had ordered Leo be taken away from the Bunker for a few days. Leo had argued that so much needed to be done, but the Hephaestus cabin personally kicked him out the one time he tried to go back inside.

So, to get him away for a night, Annabeth got a hold of Sally Jackson, the mother of the famous Percy Jackson. The daughter of Athena had arranged for Leo to join her at the Jackson-Blofis place for a dinner. Percy's Cyclops brother, Tyson, would be there, too.

So, here he was, scuffling his feet awkwardly as Sally greeted Annabeth and Tyson with lots of hugs. Paul, Percy's step-father, clapped Tyson on the back, then winced when the Cyclops clapped him back with double the strength.

Then, the two mortals locked onto Leo.

Sally stepped forward. Leo noticed her extended stomach and assumed she must be a few months pregnant—at least five. Sally smiled and said, "You must be Leo. Annabeth said you were joining us, tonight."

"She didn't really give me a choice," he muttered.

Sally rolled her eyes. "She also told me _why_ you were coming. You're quite the workaholic, huh?"

Leo smiled sheepishly. "Just doing what I do best."

Paul stepped forward and shook Leo's hand. "You don't need to be cryptic, son. We know what you're doing. I'm impressed, honestly, on how you can build that ship so quickly."

Tyson grinned. "Leo is strong!"

Annabeth nodded. "But he's as dumb as Percy when it comes to his health. I figured this would be a great opportunity for him to eat and socialize."

Sally nodded and gestured to the dining room. "Well, he's come to the right place. Why don't we go ahead and sit down?"

Paul put his arm around Leo's shoulder and led him over to the dining table, sitting him down across from Sally and in between Tyson and Annabeth. Once Leo was settled in, Paul left to go get a few plates and pots. Annabeth and Tyson helped him.

Leo looked at Sally. "So…how far along?" he asked. "Unless you're not…um…"

Sally smiled. "Five months," she said. "It's going to be a boy. We haven't decided on a name yet, though."

"Oh, well, congrats."

"Thank you. So, tell me, Leo—how much have you eaten in the past few weeks?"

Leo shifted uncomfortably. "Not much. I, uh, can handle not eating for a few days. In the Bunker I had a cooler full of bottled water, so I knew enough to stay hydrated."

Sally gave him a long look. "Annabeth told me you're a foster kid."

"Was," Leo corrected. "After this whole Gaea ordeal, I plan to stay at camp year-round until I'm eighteen. I've been through enough fake homes, so I don't want the system to snare me again."

"And I suppose you say you've handled not eating for long periods of time because you've been on the run."

"How'd you guess?"

She smiled. "_Someone_ had to look after Percy before he came to camp. He needed a parent who could read people and know what their business was. My hope was that it would rub off and, thankfully, it did—at least when it came to friends and girlfriends."

Leo grinned. "Well, you're pretty good, ma'am."

"You can call me Sally," she said.

Paul came into the dining room holding a big plate full of steaks. Annabeth carried a big salad bowl and a plate of bread. Tyson held some mashed potatoes and green beans.

"That's a lot of food," Leo said.

Annabeth leaned down and whispered, "It's a lot because there's a lot of us and…it's a special occasion."

Once everyone was settled, Leo grabbed a steak and some potatoes and green beans. Tyson got three steaks and a large serving of vegetables. Everyone else had one steak and a bit of salad, potatoes and green beans.

They had some casual small-talk while they ate. Leo learned a lot about Sally and Paul, and was beginning to feel comfortable in the family environment. The two seemed really nice and accepting. Annabeth had told them about his past, but even with the knowledge of his record, they didn't treat him like he was different. They didn't even pry about his mother's death and certainly didn't look at him with pity every time he mentioned his past. For the first time in a long time, Leo felt like he belonged. He felt secured and safe, just like he had back when he was with his mother.

After everyone finished their dinner, Paul got up and went to the kitchen. He came back a few moments later carrying a plate of blue cookies, a tray of blue cupcakes, and a little bag hanging off his arm. When he set the everything down, Paul took a blue mini cake out of the bag, placed a candle on top and smiled.

Leo knew a cue when he saw one. He let his finger catch fire and lit the candle. Once that was done, he, Paul, Annabeth, and Tyson started singing _Happy Birthday_ to Sally.

Sally blew out the candle when the song was over and smiled at everyone.

Leo smiled sheepishly. "Sorry I didn't get you a present," he said. "I didn't know it was your birthday."

"To be fair," Annabeth said, "you didn't even know her a few hours ago."

Sally nodded. "It's all right, Leo. I told Paul, Annabeth, and Tyson not to get me anything. I wouldn't have expected anything but your company anyway." She held out a blue cupcake. "Here. I can't eat all these by myself."

Leo took a cupcake and a piece of the blue cake. He examined both and asked, "Why blue?"

"It's something Percy and I would do when he was younger. My ex said there was no such thing as blue food, so I would go out of my way to prove him wrong."

"And you still do it?" Leo asked.

Tyson shoveled a bunch of blue cookies in his mouth. "Blue is good," he said. "Percy's favorite color is blue."

"It's a tradition for us now," Paul said. "To have blue food for special occasions. We've got some blue candy lying around for emergencies, too."

Leo chuckled. "Tradition? Sounds more like an obsession."

Sally shrugged. "Call it what you like. Blue is a part of our family as much as fire is a part of you."

"Think of it this way," Annabeth said. "They _obsess_ over blue food the same way you _obsess_ over tacos or corny jokes."

The whole table laughed, including Leo.

* * *

It was well past ten o'clock when the demigods and Tyson heard Argus honking outside the apartment building, ready to take them back to camp.

Leo yawned as everyone said goodbye to the adults. He suggested they name the kid Leo when he was born, and Sally laughed, saying she'd keep that in mind.

As Annabeth and Tyson got into the van Argus was driving, Sally pulled Leo aside.

"You're a sweet kid, Leo," Sally said with a smile. "I want you to know that if you ever need someone to talk to—someone who can help you when you're feeling down—I'll be here. Also, I talked it over with Paul. If you decide to not stay year-round after this whole ordeal…we'd be willing to take you in."

Leo's heart skipped a beat when he registered what she said. "You mean…you'd adopt me? What about Percy?"

"You and Percy are so much alike," Sally assured him. "And I'm sure, when he comes home, he'd love a brother around _his_ age, not just one that will be seventeen years younger than him."

Leo didn't know what to say. His lower lip trembled. He'd never met anybody as nice as Sally and Paul—not since his mother died. They knew of his fire powers. They knew he was a little crazier than the normal kid. They knew he would attract monsters, just like Percy would.

And they were still willing to take him in. They didn't judge. They didn't pity. They understood him, which made him like them so much more than the six foster homes he'd been in.

He hugged Sally, a few tears running down his face. "I'll _definitely_ think about it," he promised, his voice shaking. "When I'm done with the ship and beat Gaea in the face, I'll come back for some more of that awesome blue food."

When they broke apart, Leo was surprised to see Paul standing there. He handed the son of Hephaestus a bag filled with blue M&amp;Ms, jelly beans, and gummy bears.

"Good luck, Leo," he said. "And think about our offer. You're a good kid, and we think you deserve a nice family besides your siblings. There's always room in our home for one more."

Leo nodded and hugged Paul, too. "I'd like that," he mumbled through the older man's shoulder. "Thank you so much."

He said goodbye to them and entered the van. As Argus drove away, Leo kept waving to the parents of Percy Jackson.

"Hey Annabeth," he said once they had turned on to a new street. "Do you think Percy and me would get along?"

"Percy and I," she corrected. "And…unfortunately, yes I do think you'd get along. The two of you together would ensure the world's demise."

"Why's that?"

Annabeth smiled at him. "If you two were brothers, you would be as inseparable and unstoppable as the Stolls. No one would be safe."

Leo grinned and sat back, gazing at his bag of blue candies.

"Why do you ask?" Annabeth asked.

Leo popped a couple blue gummy bears in his mouth. "No reason," he said with his mouth full. "Just curious."

As they drove through the night, Leo's thoughts kept wandering back to Percy's parents. _I think I could get used to the color blue_, he thought.

* * *

**_A/N: Yay! Happy feelings all around :D_**

**_Another One-Shot will probably feature Percy returning after the war. I've already decided that Sally will give birth while the quest is going on, so he'll come back to a new brother. And Sally and Paul will tell him of their plan to adopt Leo had he survived._**

**_Percy and Leo as brothers would be the best thing in the world. After their friendship blossomed in BoO (y'know, _after_ they settled their difference over Calypso) they just clicked._**

**_I'm happy with this. Had Leo survived, or if my future fics had Leo return with Calypso instead of disappearing off the map for years, I like to think Leo would have accepted Sally and Paul's offer. They would have made a great family, just as long as Leo didn't accidentally blow up the kitchen lol_**


	12. Clouds

_**Short. I care not.**_

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

**12: Clouds**

_Let the Imagination Roam Free_

After five and a half years, Leo Valdez knew the signs of when his twins were upset. Tulio got extra quiet and wouldn't meet anyone's eyes; Espie would pout or set something on fire; Tulio teleported randomly and hid in corners.

The biggest clue that Espie was upset today?

She was crying the moment she entered the house.

Leo heard her wailing while he was cooking dinner. Being the overprotective father he was, Leo immediately assumed she'd been hurt by someone and wanted nothing more than to punch that someone in the face.

He rushed into the living room. Espie was on the couch, bawling. A crumpled piece of paper was overturned on the floor in front of the couch. Tulio was next to his sister, ready for Operation: Hug.

Leo crouched down beside her and cooed, "Baby. _Mija_, what's wrong?"

Espie wailed louder and latched on to his neck. Leo lifted her up and held her as she cried into his shoulder. He knew he had to be patient. When Espie got upset, he couldn't rush her into explaining why. It only upset her more.

Eventually, Calypso joined them. Leo signaled with his eyes for her to take Tulio out before he started sympathy crying. His emotion-sensing would be hitting him with all kinds of sadness right now, so Leo was impressed he was holding it together so well.

When they were left alone, Leo kissed the side of Espie's head. "It's okay," he whispered. "Whatever it is, I know it wasn't good. But you're okay now. _Papi_'s got you."

After a few minutes of sobbing, Espie finally looked him in the eye. Leo smiled. "There's my baby girl. Now…wanna tell me what happened? Did someone make fun of you? Did they bully you?"

His daughter shook her head. "It was…Mrs. Gordon," she choked. "We had a…a…coloring activity in art today."

"I bet you colored the best picture," Leo said with a grin.

Espie looked extremely heartbroken. "I had to color a picture of cloud shapes." She sniffled. "I thought it was good but…Mrs. Gordon…"

"What happened?"

Espie pointed to the crumpled paper on the floor. With the demititan still in his hands, Leo bent down and picked up the paper. It was a picture of a few cloud shapes—a kitty, a dolphin, a dragon. All of the clouds were a bright shade of orange against a blue sky.

On the top right-hand corner was a note. _Clouds aren't orange. F._

Leo frowned. Clouds weren't orange? Since when did it matter what color clouds were? Leo thought the picture had imagination! Who wants to color clouds white? Boring!

Leo looked at Espie and kissed her on the forehead. "It's a beautiful picture, _mija_. I'm gonna rip the note part up and then I'm gonna hang your pretty clouds up on the fridge. And then tomorrow, I'm gonna have a talk with Mrs. Gordon, okay?"

"'Kay," she muttered.

Leo smiled. "Don't worry. _Papi_ will fix this. I got a bone to pick with your teacher, now."

* * *

The next day, Leo walked Espie to school. He didn't really know Mrs. Felicia Gordon that well. She was one of the older demigods (a daughter of Apollo, he thought) that had moved into New Athens a while after it was built. She had long been out of camp—since before Percy Jackson had first shown up.

Leo held Espie's hand in his left hand, her pretty cloud picture and a photo in his right. He walked up to the principal's office and requested to talk to Mrs. Gordon. They called her over the intercom and she appeared in the office minutes later.

Leo shoved the picture into her hands. "Seriously?" he spat. "You hurt Espie's feelings!"

Felicia Gordon sniffed. "She didn't follow the assignment. I told them to color them as realistic as they could. No purple monkeys, no blue suns, and no orange clouds."

Leo rolled his eyes. "Clouds can totally be orange!"

"Oh really."

"Yes really. Here." He held up the photo. It was a photograph of the finished _Argo II_. Specifically it was a picture of Festus at the bow. The sun was setting, so the sky looked ablaze with fire. Which meant the clouds behind Festus looked _orange_.

Mrs. Gordon scowled. "That is a trick of the light. Clouds would never be orange for real."

Leo shrugged. "The sky isn't technically blue. It's just the color we see when the sun's rays hits the atmosphere. For all we know, it could be purple and the clouds might actually be orange. Maybe in Espie's picture there's a fire nearby that's turning the clouds orange."

"You're being ridiculous," she growled.

"I'm making a point," he spat. "Obviously my daughter has more imagination than you do. If she wants the clouds to be orange, let them be orange. If she wants to make blue grass, let her. Let her imagination run wild!"

Mrs. Gordon _harrumphed_ and stalked out of the office. Leo figured she didn't like it when people told her she was wrong—especially a lowly mechanic such as himself.

He bent down and kissed Espie. "Sweetie," he said softly. "Don't let her get to you. So what if she doesn't believe clouds can be orange? You've seen them that color, and so have I. I'm gonna put this on the fridge, okay?"

"Okay."

"Good. Now, just remember—this is your art, Espie. Your style. Don't let others tell you it's bad. Take that frustration you felt yesterday and draw something from it. Paint it out."

Espie sniffled. "What if Mrs. Gordon says I can't draw good?"

Leo scowled. "Is she the one drawing for you?"

"No."

"Then it's none of her business. Keep drawing sweetie." He kissed her curls. "With each drawing, you'll get better, no matter what Mrs. Gordon says."

Espie beamed. "I'll get better?"

"Without a doubt."

She grinned and hugged him. "Thanks, _Papi_!" Espie ran off after a few seconds.

Leo smiled.

That same day, Espie came home with a sticky note meant for her father. Leo took it and read the two words that were written on it in purple pen.

_Failure revoked._

He grinned and ruffled Espie's black curls. "Never let go of that imagination, _mija_," he said.

* * *

**_A/N: This is a thing. I had a friend in kindergarten who didn't get a good grade on a coloring assignment because she colored purple clouds. She got the grade to go up when her parents fought it out with the dumb teacher, saying clouds could be purple right after sunset. Sometimes people just don't think that far..._**

**_Imagination. Use it. That is the lesson._**


	13. Revenge

_**So, some people wanted to know how Leo got the cemetery (please refer to The Keys)**_

_**I figured the perfect way for Leo to get revenge on Rosa would be...this. It's a little slow, but I hope it got the job done.**_

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

**13: Revenge**

_Sometimes Violence isn't the Answer_

Raphael Valdez yawned, bored out of his mind. His mother had asked for him to come to the bank with her. Something about money issues. Like he cared.

Rosa smacked him, hissing at him to straighten up.

He hissed back, "Stop telling me what to do, Mom. I'm not a kid."

"Then act your age!"

Raphael slouched a little more just to spite her. He was 30 years old. Why was she still treating him like a child? He supposed it was because he was her only child. She didn't want him to end up a failure like his cousin.

Raphael wondered what happened to the little pyro. He obviously wasn't in Houston anymore. Him running from the foster home had been the last the Valdezes ever heard of him. There had been a few instances years ago where Raphael had passed by a Mechanics Shop and seen a glimpse of a young man who could have been his cousin, but when Raphael decided to return to the scene one last time, he found out that the guy had moved to New York.

Rosa slapped him again, this time telling him to pay attention as the bank employee entered the little room. The employee was young, about Raphael's age, with short, brown hair and librarians glasses.

"Thank you for coming, Mrs. Valdez," she greeted. They all shook hands. "I realize these are difficult times."

Rosa nodded. "Obviously."

"You mentioned last time we conversed that you would like to give the property to your son. Is that still an option for you?"

"What property?" Raphael asked.

"The cemetery," Rosa clarified. "I can't afford the stupid patch of land. Your _bisabuelo_ gave it to Esperanza in his will, but when she died it was passed to me. The land cost is too high for me to keep up. I want to put it in your name."

"That's why you dragged me down here?" he growled. "To give me a patch of dirt? If you can't afford it, what makes you think I can?"

They argued back and forth for a good minute before the employee cleared her throat. "Pardon, but, Mrs. Valdez, you mentioned a will?"

Rosa reached into her bag and pulled out Sam Sr.'s last will and testament. She pointed to the paragraph that entitled Esperanza to the Valdez Cemetery. The employee looked at it and nodded.

"So, according to this, Samuel Valdez Sr. entitled one Esperanza Valdez to the land. He specified that should she die, the next of kin would get it, and so on and so forth until no blood relative was left alive. You were her next of kin?"

Rosa gulped. Raphael tried to keep still. "Technically," his mother said, chewing her lip. "I was her next of kin until her child was of age."

"And where is her child?"

Rosa shrugged. "He went into the system soon after my sister died."

"How old would he be now?"

"Twenty-seven."

The employee nodded. "Then, I'm afraid that, according to this will, that man would be eligible to claim the property. I'm obligated to contact him and bring him down here for this. Would you like to involve a lawyer?"

Raphael looked at his mother. She shook her head. "No," she said flatly. "But I don't want _him_ to take it. Rafael will be getting the land!"

"I'm afraid he isn't able to claim it unless your sister's son turns down the offer. If you want to fight him for it, you'll have to get your lawyer involved."

Rosa huffed in annoyance. "Fine," she conceded. "Get the _diablo_ down here. He's probably unable to afford it, either. That child was nothing but a failure—a disaster. Give the land to him and it'll fall into ruin."

Rafael nodded.

The employee shrugged. "What's his name? I'll try to look him up in the records."

"Leo Valdez," Raphael offered. "His birthday is August 24th, 1995."

"Thank you," she said. "I think I can find him with that information."

The Valdezes left the room. The employee would inform them of a meeting time over the phone later that day. Raphael wasn't too pleased about Leo getting something he couldn't, but he told himself that his cousin was just a terrible pyro. He wouldn't have amounted to anything.

* * *

"Achoo!"

Leo Valdez handed his wife some soup. "Never thought a Titaness would catch a measly cold," he joked.

Calypso glared at him.

He grinned. "Welcome to mortality, babe."

Tulio, his five-year-old son, looked at his mother with wide eyes. "Can I kiss Mommy better?"

Calypso shook her head. "Boo-boos and colds are not something to waste your power on, Tulio. Wait an hour and you can heal up whatever wound your father will get from being stupid in the shop."

Leo rolled his eyes.

The phone rang. Leo hopped up and answered it. "Hello~! C&amp;L Auto Repair and Mechanical Monsters. Ultimate Repair Boy speaking, how may I help you?"

"Hello," said a female voice. "I'm looking for a Mr. Leo Valdez?"

"Speaking," he said.

"Ah, okay. I'm Alyssa Robinson from the Bank of America in Houston, Texas. I have a few questions to ask you before I disclose the information I have for you."

"Go on."

"Your mother was Esperanza Valdez, correct?"

"Yes."

"And your aunt's name is Rosa?"

"Yes."

"Thank you. Recently, your aunt came into some money issues and is unable to afford the property labeled _Valdez Cemetery_."

Leo's eyes widened. "She still has that?"

"That's why I'm calling. It seems that, according to Samuel Valdez Sr.'s last will, your mother was the rightful owner and her next of kin would be once she passed. You are her next of kin, sir."

Leo blinked. "So the cemetery is mine?"

"Technically, yes, but you haven't signed for it. I'd like you to come down to Houston to sign the proper papers."

"O-Of course!" Leo cried. "Date and time, I'll be there!"

"Wednesday at eleven good for you?"

"Yes. I can get there easily enough."

* * *

Two days later, Leo was walking into the bank, holding his twins' hands. Calypso had gotten pneumonia, so she had to stay over a few nights in the New Athens hospital. She'd urged Leo to get the land thing situated and not worry about her. Since he couldn't find a babysitter quick enough, Leo wound up travelling across the country with Tulio and Esperanza.

Espie tugged on Leo's hand. "I wanna uppy," she urged.

Leo shook his head. "You're getting too big for that, _mija_. And this isn't a good place to do it."

She pouted.

Leo cracked his neck, not liking that he had to dress nicer than usual. He was wearing a red polo shirt and slacks, held up by suspenders. Not a stain was present on him or his twins, who were wearing nice clothes as well. Leo wanted to get back into jeans and a dirty t-shirt as soon as possible.

Espie clutched her coloring book and crayons. Tulio had Happy, their miniature Festus, with him, along with a bag of pipe cleaners, string, rubber bands, and paper clips.

He went to the front desk. "Hello," he greeted. "I'm Leo Valdez. I have an appointment at eleven?"

* * *

Rafael's foot tapped quickly. He and Rosa were back in the room from a few days before. Leo would be in any moment.

Rosa looked absolutely furious. She was not at all thrilled about seeing Leo again.

The door opened and three people stepped in—a man and two children.

The man was undoubtedly Leo. He was pretty short, and he could have brushed his curly hair a bit more. He also could have spent the time to shave, since whiskers were prominent on his jawline. He was muscular, with a broad chest and sizable biceps. The children looked no older than five, both of them spitting images of the father.

The man locked gazes with Raphael. His eyes grew slightly cold.

_Definitely Leo_, he assessed.

The employee from before entered behind Leo. "Welcome, Mr. Valdez," she said, shaking Leo's hand. "Sorry about the sudden call."

"No worries." He grinned brilliantly. "My wife's sick, and I couldn't find a sitter, so I hope you don't mind that I brought my kids…"

She shook her head. "Not a problem."

Leo sat down next to Raphael. He pointed the twins over to a corner. "Go sit over there," he whispered. "_Papi_ needs to discuss some stuff with the grown-ups. Be quiet, okay?"

The twins nodded and obeyed. Raphael was a bit surprised to see how good they were. How did good children come from _him_?

Rosa huffed. "Can we get on with this?"

Leo crossed his arms. "Imagine that. She's impatient."

Raphael glared at him. "Shut up, squirt."

His cousin gave him the stink eye. "So I'm shorter than you, Raph. At least I work out."

"You have the time to work out?"

"I do it as I work," Leo said.

"And what is it that you do?" Rosa growled.

"Took after Mom," Leo said calmly. "I'm a mechanic. And a blacksmith. Got my job thanks to Dad."

"Oh, so you found your sire, did you?"

Leo shrugged. "Wasn't much of a father figure, but by the time I met him, I'd already been a teen. Went to a camp for troubled teens, travelled to Greece, backpacked through Europe, got married to an awesome Greek woman, moved back to America, had kids…"

Raphael didn't know what to say. He wasn't able to leave Texas because of funds, and there Leo was spending his teenage years travelling Europe and getting a job easily from his dad!

Rosa didn't look very pleased. "Some father you're making. Leaving your _wife_ and travelling across the country with your children? You said she was sick."

Leo glared at her. "To be fair, _she_ was the one who told me to come. I wanted to reschedule."

The employee cleared her throat. "Please don't fight."

Leo crossed his muscular arms. "Fine. Where's this thingy I'm supposed to sign?"

She pulled out a document. "This is a document that legalizes your claim to the cemetery property. Rosa has already stated she does not want to involve her lawyer, but if you'd prefer to sign it in the presence of one…"

Leo shook his head. "I'll sign it."

As he scribbled his name on a few dotted lines, Rosa challenged, "Sure you'll be able to afford this on top of your business and home in New York?"

"I'm wealthier than you think."

"Obviously not wealthy enough to dress better."

Raphael snickered. Leo looked uncomfortable in his current clothes, with the shirt tight against his chest. The suspenders looked pretty dumb with a polo, too.

Leo rolled his eyes. He signed the last line and rose. "Is that it?"

The employee shifted the document towards Rosa. "Mrs. Valdez has to sign it, and Mr. Raphael will need to sign the witness line. After that, you're free to leave."

Each Valdez did what they were told.

Leo told the kids to come and they all began to leave. Raphael followed him, Rosa coming in the rear.

When they got into the parking lot, Raphael snapped. "Yo," he called. "Leo."

His cousin turned and looked at him with a bored expression. "What?"

"Is that it? No, 'Hey, how's it goin'?"

Leo cocked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Raphael crossed his arms. "Look, I know we didn't get along as kids, but…we're all adults now. What's with the cold shoulder?"

Leo shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe I think you don't deserve my manners."

Raphael paused. "Excuse me?"

Rosa glared at her nephew. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Leo got right into Rosa's face. "You said I didn't deserve to be in the family. You put me in the foster system without giving me a chance."

"I was protecting our family, you _diablo_!" Rosa spat. "I should call the authorities just to warn them you're in town!"

One of the children shot a raspberry at her. "Mean lady!" he shouted.

"Nasty!" yelled the girl.

Leo shushed them. "This doesn't concern you, kids. Stay out of it." He turned to Raphael and Rosa. "Besides, I'm done anyway. I don't care what you say; I'm not giving up the cemetery. Mom's buried there, and so is Sam Sr. I got plenty of money to keep it going."

Rosa scoffed. "I doubt that."

Raphael rolled his eyes. He didn't know what their great-grandfather had to do with this, but he ignored it. "How much you makin', anyway?"

"Enough to afford a two-story house and a machine shop in New York City," Leo growled. "And to keep the cemetery and have it cleaned monthly." He backed up a few paces and smirked. "You said I didn't deserve to be alive, dear _aunt_. Well, now that I own the cemetery, I say you don't deserve to get it. Involve a lawyer if you want, I legally own it now. And I'll be putting it in my will that my kids will be getting it once I'm gone—or grandkids, if I deem them worthy."

He walked away, his twins holding each of their hands. "Smell ya later, jerks," he called.

Raphael just gaped at his cousin. When they were kids, Leo wouldn't have been confident enough to stand up to _him_ let alone Rosa. Now, though, the weakling geek kid had gotten muscles on top of that _spine_ he'd grown…

* * *

Leo walked away with the biggest grin on his face. He didn't dare look back at Rosa's flabbergasted face. He didn't want to argue with Raphael.

Raphael had bullied him when they were younger. Leo righted that wrong right in his cousin's face.

Rosa kicked him out of the family. Leo earned the family back with money to spare.

He'd gotten his revenge.

And he didn't even have to get violent about it.

He looked up to the sky, smirking. _How's that for revenge, Nemesis?_

* * *

**_A/N: Eh, not as powerful I wanted, but it happened._**

**_Next is Insanity, and I plan on getting Octavian in on it. Yes. :D_**


	14. Insanity

_**Let it be known that I don't like Octavian. I've hated him the moment he came onto the pages of The Son of Neptune.**_

_**But I've kinda wanted to know the reasoning behind his ridiculous villain-ness.**_

_**So, this was born.**_

_**Hope you enjoy it, even if it is short compared to the normal chapter.**_

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

**14: Insanity**

_The Man behind the Madness_

Octavian wished the voice would go away. It was like a whisper that constantly rang in his head. At first it had been a hiss. Just a low hiss as soon as Jason Grace had disappeared. He'd thought that was Apollo hissing in his ear, trying to communicate. But it soon became audible. It convinced him that this was his chance to become praetor at long last.

He instantly liked the voice. It told him what he wanted to hear. It whispered encouragement, told him visions that would help his cause.

Then Percy Jackson showed up.

The voice began to growl. It instantly inserted hatred into his mind. It suggested that Jackson was _Greek_, of all things! Octavian was already a Greek hater, but when the voice, which had never steered him wrong before, said there was a legitimate _graceus_ among them…

…he wanted nothing more than to get rid of the plague that had invaded his camp.

He'd hoped Lord Mars' quest would rid them of Percy Jackson easily. If he spent long enough out of camp, there would be no one getting in his way.

_No one will be able to stop your rise to power,_ the voice purred. _Become praetor, like you were destined to be._

It was nice to hear that encouragement. The voice might not have been Apollo, but it certainly was in better standing with Octavian than his godly ancestor. Apollo hadn't once given him suggestions or encouragement, whereas this voice got him to more places quickly.

Then, Jackson came back. _Alive_.

…And he became praetor!

_Get rid of him!_

He wanted no more than to do just that. He'd considered arranging an _accident_ during the next War Games, but that stupid Greek had attracted more Greeks.

And then a whole friggin' flying _warship_ parked itself above the forum. The voice was snarling now. It was clawing at his brain, wanting him to get rid of the scum.

_Get rid of the sickness these Greeks are bringing_, it snarled. _Find a way to get rid of the ship!_

Octavian had been set on doing just that—on sabotaging the warship. As it turned out, the Greeks actually made it easy for him! That elf boy had fired on New Rome! He had officially started a war, and Octavian didn't need to lift a finger!

Sure, something had seemed wrong. The mechanic elf's whole being during that attack seemed off. He was acting strange.

But Octavian ignored that. The voice was howling in approval, and Octavian could feel the excitement at the prospect of a war. He was sure the voice just wanted to get rid of the pests, and that would ultimately help the Romans win the war against Gaea.

In retrospect, he probably should have thought more about who was talking in his mind. But he didn't. He was too happy about removing the _graceus_ scum from the planet.

But the Greeks kept making him angrier and angrier. And the voice kept getting louder and louder.

Soon it was all he heard. When Reyna _betrayed_ the Legion to go after the traitors in a suicide mission, Octavian stopped trying to make sense of everything. The voice was shouting, _The last obstacle is gone! You are praetor! But…why stop there?_

The voice told him to elect himself as _pontifex maximus_. It kept telling him—no, _ordering_ him—to do things he probably shouldn't have done. Enlisting terrible ex-legionnaires like Bryce was probably not wise. Getting monsters as allies was probably not smart.

But he had no room in his mind for common sense anymore. He told everyone Apollo was speaking to him, telling him what he was doing was right. But, in reality, he still had no idea who it was. Every time he was alone, when he tried to figure it out, the voice kept yelling at him and screaming plans. Plans to win the war against the Greeks, for that was all that mattered.

When the day finally came, when the onagers were fully loaded, he couldn't have been happier. The voice had allowed him no reprieve. Even in his sleep he dreamed of screaming and battles. He supposed he looked terrible, but sacrifices were made for the greater good. He would rest and relax when he'd won.

Then the monsters had turned on him. It should have been obvious. It should have made him see that the Greeks were right—that _Reyna_ and the ambassador of Pluto were talking sense.

But the voice howled on. It told him to ignore the betrayal—to keep fighting the Greeks, for they were the cause. By getting rid of them, you simultaneously got rid of the monsters. If you killed the Greeks, the monsters would flee in terror at your might!

When Gaea rose up from the ground, it became almost unbearable. The voice was shrieking for him to continue the attack on the Greeks. It yelled to wait and kill the one who had started the war in the first place—Leo Valdez. By killing him, it ensured victory! Yes!

The moment the son of Hephaestus had appeared riding on a bronze monstrosity was the moment that Octavian knew he would settle everything. He rushed over to an onager, hastily reconfiguring the aim and loading as much Imperial Gold into it as he could.

_You are the Savior of Rome_, the voice shrieked. _Only you can rid the world of its enemies!_

The Greeks tried to warn him of something. He found himself answering without thinking about it. What was he saying? The voice was too loud now. His head felt like it was going to explode. He couldn't hear himself. No, he couldn't even hear the Greeks.

He was about to fire the onager when something felt wrong. Another voice rang in his head.

_Don't do this, Octavian_, it said. _Don't do it._

Octavian gritted his teeth. _Now_ of all times…Apollo decided to say something! Since when did he care? Since when did he speak to him? Sure, Octavian had gotten Apollo's blessing for this, but when did the god care about what he actually _did_?

He ignored both voices—the one that had ensured victory and the one that had been silent until now—and he ignored the questions from Kahale. Of course he was sure of what he was doing! He'd never been surer in his life.

He fired the onager.

Wind whipped around him. How did it get that powerful? Was he in the air? Why was he screaming? Was he standing or was he flying?

The fiery form of Valdez and his dragon came into view. Octavian sped for it quicker than he could think of a way out. The voice was booming now, screaming: _WAKE ME UP! DO NOT ALLOW ME TO SLEEP AGAIN! I DO NOT WANT SLEEP! WAKE UP!_

Apollo's voice rang out: _I'm so sorry! I should have done more to help you the right way!_

A third voice screamed in his head—no, it was screaming in general: "_This is for my mother!"_

Octavian and his fireball hit Valdez and Gaea.

And the voices all stopped. They finally stopped! His mind was clear for the first time in a long time. Everything was silent. Everything was dark.

Everything was gone.

* * *

**_A/N: Ta-da~!_**

**_I'd like to think that Apollo would try to stop Octavian just _once_ before he died. Zeus told Apollo to wait up on Olympus, but he never said to keep stopping contact. I think somewhere he'd try to warn Octavian to stop, but it'd be too late._**

**_It was interesting to write, I'll tell you that, but don't be expecting more Octavian prompts. At the moment, I think that's the only one I have in me. Mostly because I can barely stand Octavian._**


	15. Disappear

_**Another short one, but this was all I wanted to do.**_

_**You'll be a little confused as to what the Hades is going on, but trust me: You'll get the feels soon enough.**_

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

**15: Disappear**

_Now You See Him…_

Jessie Sanchez couldn't sleep. Something wasn't right.

Something moved in the corner of her room. She sat up and grabbed a flashlight off of her side table. She clicked it on.

Her foster brother stared back at her. He had a finger to his lips, signaling her to be quiet.

"What are you doing in my room?" she hissed.

"Just, um," he tried, sticking his hands in his pockets. Jessie didn't understand why her brother was fully dressed in the middle of the night. "I couldn't sleep."

Jessie patted the side of her bed. "You can sleep with me if you want," she offered.

He shook his head. "Nothing like a nightmare," he said. "I just get antsy sometimes. You know how it is—ADHD and all. Sometimes it keeps me up."

Jessie nodded. Her foster brother had severe ADHD and dyslexia. Her parents had given him some medication to help his ADHD, but he rarely took them. He said they were awful. "Then why'd you come here? Now I won't be able to sleep."

He grinned, which made him look more like an imp than usual. "Then my master plan succeeded. I think tomorrow I might wake Jack and Abby."

"Why won't you ever call them Mom and Dad? The other foster kids do."

He looked down. "I told you before. I don't want new parents. I liked my first mom and no one else will ever come close to deserving that name from me."

Jessie felt bad. Sure, she was only six, but her brother was ten—one of the younger foster kids in the home. This was his third home. Jessie didn't know what had happened to his real family, just that he missed his mom. "Sorry I asked."

"It's cool," he said. "But, um…I have a favor to ask."

"What?"

"You got any pictures of us? Y'know, of us hanging out or something? Just the two of us?"

"Why?"

"Thought I'd start a scrapbook."

Jessie hopped up from her bed and went to her desk. She rifled through the drawers until she pulled out a few pictures of her and her foster brother. "Here."

He looked at them for a few moments, then gave her back all but two. "I want this one," he said, holding up a reel of them in a photo booth at the mall. They were making silly faces. "And I want you to keep this one with you." He gave her the other photo, which was of them in the park. One of her foster sisters had taken the picture. He was grinning in a way that made one think he was about to pull a prank, his curly black hair disheveled and his brown eyes glittering playfully. He was hugging her and holding up a peace sign.

"Okay," she said, putting the picture in her Ariel wallet.

"Promise you'll keep that one with you?" he asked.

"Pinky promise," she assured him. "But why?"

He pocketed the reel. "I just…I want you to keep it and remember me."

"Are you going somewhere?"

He smiled sadly. "This is just a foster home for me, Jess. It's temporary. Eventually the state will put me somewhere else, or somebody will adopt me. I just want you to remember me after I'm gone one day."

She shook her head. "I don't want you to leave! You're the funnest brother here!"

He grinned and ruffled her bed head. "Glad to hear it." He yawned. "Listen, my ADHD has calmed down now, so…I'm gonna head to bed now."

He started to walk over to the door. Jessie followed and hugged him.

"G'night," she said. "See you in the morning."

She could swear she felt him hesitate. In a second, though, he smiled sweetly and hugged her back. "See you in the morning…"

* * *

"Please describe him for me," the police officer said.

Abby Sanchez nodded. "He's about this high," she said, holding a hand up. "With curly black hair, brown eyes, round face and turned-up nose. He usually can't sit still and is almost always doing something with his hands. He has a tendency to…_fix_…broken things."

Jessie listened on in silence with her foster family. She clutched her Ariel wallet tightly.

"Do you have a photo of the boy?" the officer asked. "Just so we can post it on the news."

Jessie's mother nodded again and held out a picture of the whole family. "This is him from a few weeks ago," she said, pointing to him. "Honestly, we have no idea what would make him run away."

The officer nodded and took the picture. "We'll find him, Mrs. Sanchez. Don't worry."

Jessie stood up and ran up the stairs, back to her room. She couldn't handle this. She collapsed on her bed and began to cry. She remembered her foster brother waking her up just last night. He had been right there, talking to her.

_"I just want you to remember me after I'm gone one day,"_ he had said.

Jessie sobbed into her pillow. _That_ was why he wanted her to remember. He was running away. Him being fully clothed seemed to make much more sense.

She pulled out the picture and looked at her foster brother once more.

And she would do that again and again for the years to come. They never found him. He'd either run far or someone had kidnapped him. Either way, the Sanchez family had never found the runaway ten-year-old boy again.

But Jessie would never forget him. She hoped that one day she would be able to find her long lost foster brother. The one who made her laugh. The one who could fix anything. The one who was now the only magician to ever impress her. The one who had disappeared and was never found again.

The one called Leo Valdez.

* * *

**_A/N: Aw. Sad feels._**

**_I meant for it to be this short. It got the point across._**

**_Also, do you know how hard it was to _not_ mention Leo by name? Very._**


	16. Shadows

_**This story takes place a little after The Keys. There was a chapter in it similar to this one-shot, involving Espie and Mark, and I thought I'd continue that.**_

_**Enjoy Bobby Jackson, everybody!**_

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

**16: Shadows**

_You Don't Have to Stand in Them_

Bobby Jackson stood in Hero Plaza with his hands in his pockets. The statues stood silent and tall in the New Athens plaza, somehow very intimidating.

Bobby stood under his father's statue. He had a mix of Greek and Roman traditions on him, with the Roman tattoo and praetor robes and the Greek CHB shirt, necklace and sword. He and Jason were the blend of the two camps, the ones who proved both could get along, the ones who could do anything they set their minds to, the ones _everyone_ looked up to...

...the ones who cast the big shadows onto their kids.

Bobby sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"What's with the sigh?"

The legacy of Athena whirled. Mark Grace was standing behind him, grinning. "Did I scare you?" he asked.

Bobby punched him lightly in the shoulder. "Yes. Go away."

"You mad at your dad or something?"

"Why would you ask that?"

Mark shrugged. "You were sighing and making a face at his statue."

Bobby let out a breath. "I was just thinking."

"Shocker," the legacy of Aphrodite said. "A relative of Athena thinking."

"Har de har."

"Would you have preferred I say 'the son of Percy Jackson thinking? Call the news!'?"

Bobby snickered. "I think that'd be funnier towards my sister."

Mark smiled. "But you're the one who looks like Percy."

"True." Bobby looked down. "But that's the problem, isn't it…"

"Pardon?"

The thirteen-year-old looked up at Mark. "Me being the _son of Percy Jackson_. It's such a problem sometimes."

He leaned against Percy's statue. "I mean," he said. "I know we all are related to gods and goddesses, but when people look at my dad, all they see is this awesome guy who headed the assault on two wars back-to-back. They see the son of Poseidon that defied all odds from birth, who stood up to the gods, defeated the Titans, and smashed Giants like they were small-fry."

He held his head in his hands. "I know my mom was right up there with him, but Dad was always more famous. And, _of course_, I look just like him…everyone looks at me and expects me to be just like him."

Mark leaned on the statue next to him. "I get where you're coming from, Bobby. You think it's easy for me, the son of _Jason Grace_, to make my mark?"

Bobby shrugged. "You're right. I'm just whining, aren't I?"

"No," Mark said, holding up his hands in surrender. "I didn't mean it like that! I was just…um…" He scratched the back of his neck. "I know what you're feeling. I had the same feelings back when we were rescuing our parents. While you and Lacy were getting your mom, I was sitting in my room mulling over how much of a disappointment I am to my parents."

Bobby was shocked. "_You_? You're Jason and Piper's only child! They brag about you all the time! How in the world are you a disappointment to them?"

Mark shrugged. "Many people have told me time and again that I'm not a disappointment. All of us—we legacies of the Seven—probably suffer from this inferiority. We all think we can't live up to our parents."

Bobby didn't even consider that the other legacies were thinking along the same lines as him. They all were older than him (minus Gus, Aria, and Zac) and they all had super cool powers. Espie and Tulio Valdez were fire-using demititans, Sammy Leo Zhang was blessed by Mars to never be defeated in battle, Mark Grace was a charmspeaker who could bend the winds and use lightning, and Lacy—Bobby's own sister—was better than Bobby with her Poseidon powers and skills in combat!

Then there was Bobby, with no special powers other than solving riddles and making up strategies. "I guess," he told Mark, "I guess it's kinda hard to compare yourself to your parents when you don't have their powers. You have a blend of your parents' powers. Tulio and Espie have variations of Leo's powers. Lacy's got Dad's. But me…"

Mark patted him on the shoulder. "You know what Espie told me back when I was thinking this? Stop thinking about it. Stop trying to see yourself as your father's son, because everyone will see it that way. But if you see yourself as _Bobby Jackson_…others will see that, too.

"I've sometimes seen myself as a less powerful charmspeaker than my mother, or a weak legacy of Jupiter that is afraid of heights. I'd always compared myself to the great Jason Grace and Piper McLean. But when Espie told me what I needed to hear—when she told me exactly who I was—I understood that Jason Grace and Piper McLean might have been great heroes in the past and to others, but to me…to me, they're just my parents. It doesn't matter what everyone else sees them as. We don't have to look up to them as the heroes they were, just as the parents they are."

Bobby blinked. He hadn't thought of that. Recently, he'd been feeling terrible because everyone kept comparing his worth to his father. But Mark had brought up a good point:

Who cares what other people see him as?

So what if Percy Jackson was his father? That didn't make him Percy's twin. That didn't ensure that he was automatically just as great. If it worked like that, demigods would just be gods like their parents.

Bobby nodded. "You're right. They are just my parents. They don't have to be anything else."

Mark smiled. "Yup. And also, you already proved your worth rescuing your mom. I'd say people respect you as you are already. If all they see is a kid that needs to be like Percy Jackson, then that's their problem, not yours."

Bobby smiled back, then looked up at his father's statue. The teenage Percy that would forever be etched in marble, the one everyone would remember, stood proud and tall. The sun made a halo around the statue, casting a long shadow on the ground where Bobby and Mark sat.

"Our parents sure do cast big shadows, though, don't they?" he asked Mark.

The son of Jason Grace gazed at his father's statue and gave a small _humph_. "Yes they do. But that doesn't mean we have to stand in them."

The two legacies walked out of Hero Plaza together, eventually starting up a conversation about the next Capture the Flag game.

* * *

**_A/N: I lost my train of thought on this halfway through. :P_**

**_So, I hope you didn't mind the shortness of this. It's all I could do._**

**_For those interested in more Solangelo, you guys are in luck. Soon there will be more :D But not in Darkness. That'll be something else._**


	17. Darkness

**_Two Bobby Jackson stories in a row? Wow!_**

**_Okay, so this popped out of nowhere. I literally had half of this written as something COMPLETELY different, and then I thought of this and said EVEN BETTER!_**

**_Originally, this was a Caleo fic. It would be that Calypso hated how dark her island was after Leo left. Fluff and sad feels all around._**

**_Then this happened. I thought to myself that there was someone from the original series that I have been neglecting, even in my Pirate AU, and that includes almost EVERYONE (immortals excluded). I wrote a one-shot about Octavian, so why not this guy?_**

**_I never said Bobby's middle name anywhere—I don't think. So, now you get to see what it is._**

**_GET READY FOR THE BIGGEST REVEAL SINCE I PUT LEO IN A WHEELCHAIR!_**

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

**17: Darkness**

_A Temporary Prison for a Redeemed Soul _

15 year-old Bobby Jackson sat on his bunk in Cabin Six, bored out of his mind. He had broken his ankle during Capture the Flag the previous day, and the Apollo Cabin had much more serious injuries to worry about, so they gave him a cast and sent him on his way. They didn't even give him ambrosia, but he didn't complain, considering how many campers actually _needed_ it more than he did. The Capture the Flag game had been especially brutal.

To be fair, Tulio Valdez had offered to heal him, but Bobby had refused, saying he needed rest anyway.

Bobby took his crutch out and slowly stood up, wincing at the slight pain in his foot. He gradually limped out of the cabin, desperately wanting to do something other than sit around bored. Eventually, he looked at the Big House and thought he could explore in the attic. Now that Rachel Elizabeth Dare was the Oracle, the old mummy that used to reside in the attic was gone, so the attic didn't seem quite so scary or off-limits.

Lacy, Bobby's sister, passed by. She asked, "Where are you going?"

"The attic," he replied. "I'm bored."

She shrugged. "Need help getting up the stairs?"

"Shut up," he growled. "I can do it on my own."

She grinned and left him alone. Bobby limped a little faster towards the Big House. Within a few minutes he'd gotten to the bottom of the stairs.

Climbing up the stairs proved to be mighty difficult with a casted foot. It took him a while, with a few breaks in between, but the legacy of Athena finally got up to the attic.

No one else was in the attic with him, so Bobby decided to start rifling through the old boxes of stuff demigods and legacies had picked up over the years. Some of the stuff was recent, like some Archimedes spheres Leo Valdez had left behind with Buford after the Giant War or the second Minotaur horn Bobby's father had severed during the Titan War. Some of the stuff was old, like a cowboy hat from '91 or an accurate painting of the Olympians from long before the Civil War.

Bobby grabbed a photograph and dusted it off. He sneezed, then looked at it. It was a photo of three kids—two girls and a boy—smiling in front of a Wal-Mart. He recognized his mother, the youngest of the kids, easily enough. Thalia, the other girl, was also easy to recognize. She visited every once in a while—sometimes to try and recruit Lacy before she was too old, but it was usually just playing around with Annabeth when that happened.

The boy, who was clearly the oldest of the three, was someone Bobby didn't recognize. He had sandy blonde hair with blue eyes. They weren't as intense as Mr. Grace's, but they were still striking. Bobby supposed he was pretty handsome for a kid entering his teens. He flipped over the photograph. Written on the back was **_Annabeth Chase, Thalia Grace, and Luke Castellan before CHB_**.

Bobby tilted his head. He'd heard the name Luke before. He thought there was a statue in the Titan War Hero Plaza in New Athens for a guy named Luke. He never paid attention to it, though, since he spent more time in the Giant War's Hero Plaza, admiring the statues of his parents and the rest of the Seven (plus Nico and Reyna).

Bobby thought about how his middle name was Luke, too. Could he be named after this kid? Who was he, really? He hated himself for not paying more attention to his recent history…perhaps he was more like his father than he should be…

Bobby was about to stand up to go ask his mother about Luke when a glint caught his eye. He set the photo down and reached behind a couple boxes towards a crevice in the wall. His hand brushed up against metal and he grabbed at it quickly.

When Bobby sat back up, he looked at his prize. It was a mirror covered in so much dust he couldn't see his reflection. A tag was attached to the bottom. Bobby glanced at it.

**_"WARNING:_**

**_Secondhand Soul Mirror_**

**_As a Reborn Soul, one can see their previous life's reflection through this mirror. Do not break. Mirror does not provide memories of previous life. Side effects may include: Confusion, sore throat, screaming, stuffy nose, hives, and dry eyes."_**

Bobby blinked. A mirror that showed you your previous life! He began to wonder if he was a reborn soul. There was really no other way to tell, and it kind of didn't matter, but he was too curious to leave this be.

He glanced at the entrance to the attic, making sure no one was coming up, before wiping the dust off the mirror. He took a deep breath and looked at his reflection.

He blinked. Instead of seeing a younger version of Percy Jackson with grey eyes, Bobby saw a young man with close-cropped, sandy blonde hair, striking blue eyes, and a scar over the right side of his face. Bobby turned his head, and the young man did the same. Bobby's mouth was slightly open, and so was the young man's.

"Wha…" Before Bobby could find his proper voice the shadows in the room engulfed him. He yelped in surprise.

He whirled around on the ground, trying to get his bearings. Something must be happening outside, blocking out the sun.

But he soon noticed this wasn't the attic. The room he was in was much smaller, like a padded cell. Instead of white walls, the pads were colored black and dark indigo, like shadows. The darkness made Bobby nervous and he instantly regretted picking up the mirror, which must be what was causing him to (hopefully) hallucinate.

That was when Bobby saw the man sitting against the wall. He wore a dirty Greek chiton and himation. His head was bowed, but Bobby could kind of tell his hair was sandy-colored.

Bobby immediately wanted to run. He was trapped in darkness with an ancient Greek guy. This was not good!

The man raised his head. He had a scar over the right side of his face, running down his cheek. His blue eyes squinted in confusion. "Percy?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

Bobby paled. This guy couldn't be ancient, then, if he knew his father. "N-No," he stammered. "I get that a lot. I'm his son, Bobby."

The guy raised an eyebrow. "Huh. I guess I forgot. Percy doesn't have grey eyes." Then, he smiled. "But Annabeth does. She's your mom, right?"

"Yes."

The man's smile widened. "I knew those two would get together."

"Who are you?" Bobby finally asked.

The man held out his hand. It was pale and skinny. "Luke. Luke Castellan."

Bobby went over, shook his hand, and blinked. "I was just looking at a picture of you, my mom and my Aunt Thalia! And—" That was the moment Bobby realized he was looking at the young man from the mirror, only much older and sadder. "And…you were in the mirror I was looking at earlier."

"Mirror?"

Bobby held out the mirror, surprised he was still holding onto it at all. "This one. It's supposed to show you who you used to be in a previous life if you are a reborn soul."

Luke took the mirror. He gazed into it. "Not much to look at, now, I suppose," he commented. "I look terrible."

"You only see yourself?"

Luke nodded. "I'm probably the start of the line. You said you saw me in your reflection?" He sighed and smiled. "Well, what a coincidence…"

Bobby scooted closer. "What do you mean?"

"You're my reincarnation. My soul reborn."

Bobby squinted. "Then how are you here? Nico said that souls choosing rebirth have to be soaked in the River Lethe before they come back. That way they don't remember anything, good or bad, from the previous life."

Luke shrugged. "I remember very little about my life. Faces with names, important events, and my fate. That's all I remember. I remember standing before the judges of the afterlife and begging to be reborn. I remember being soaked in the Lethe, but part of me—this part that you see—got detached from the one destined to be reborn. A voice kept saying, _'Part of you must suffer punishment for the deeds you have done.'_ This part of my soul was placed in this eternal darkness until further notice. I was informed I wouldn't be here forever, so I assume when my reborn soul dies, I'll finally disappear."

Bobby nodded. "I can understand, but I don't actually know what you did to deserve this."

"Annabeth never told you?" Luke asked incredulously. "After all I did, I would assume at least _she_ would tell you at least once."

Bobby shook his head. "All I know about you is that I'm possibly named after you."

"I'm not sure '_Bobby_' can be translated from '_Luke_'," the spirit joked.

"Oh, no. My first name comes from the Titan Iapetus. My middle name is Luke."

Luke looked at him with narrowed eyes. "And '_Bobby_' came from '_Iapetus_', how?"

Bobby found himself explaining some of the big adventures Percy had gone through and answering clarification questions every few sentences. With every achievement, Luke looked prouder. At the end of the story, Luke said, "Your parents really did well. It's amazing how awesome they became."

Bobby nodded. "They've cast some pretty big shadows, too, but I've learned to deal with it."

Luke looked at him with sad eyes. "I'm glad to hear that, but…I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For me being your root soul. I did some bad things when I was alive. I made up for most of it in the end, but I still regret a lot of it. _Of course_ my soul would be reborn as Percy Jackson's son. It's only fitting."

Bobby placed a hand on the spirit's shoulder. "You know, I don't know what you did—I'm going to ask Mom later—but I'm going to say…what's done is done. I don't remember what you did, just like I'm supposed to. It's in the past, now."

"But I'm still here," Luke argued, defeated.

"Sure, but not forever." Bobby smiled at him. "Maybe you'll rejoin the rest of our soul when I die. Or maybe you'll go to Elysium in a few years when Mom dies. You're a special case, that's for sure."

Luke nodded. "I suppose. You're, uh, making your parents proud, I hope?"

"Of course. Head of the Athena Cabin, after all."

"Not Poseidon, huh?"

"No, that's my sister, Lacy. She got Dad's powers. I'm more like Mom."

Luke smiled. "I rephrase my earlier statement. Of course my soul would be reborn as _Annabeth Chase's_ son."

They chuckled together in the darkness. For a long time, they just talked. Bobby told his root soul about some of his adventures, and Luke would sit there and smile. Even though Luke couldn't remember much, he was able to tell Bobby some of the things he did, like keep Annabeth and Thalia safe when they were younger or help Annabeth get through some hard times when they were in camp together. He left the bad parts for Annabeth to explain later.

After a while, Bobby felt his presence fading. "I guess it's time for me to go."

"It's okay," Luke said. "It was nice to meet myself."

"Likewise," Bobby said with a grin. "I hope your punishment ends soon."

"I hope you keep making your parents proud."

"I'll do you one better." Bobby clasped his root soul's hand and nodded. "I'll make _you_ proud."

* * *

Bobby woke up lying on the floor of the attic. The mirror was in his hand again. He could see Luke's face staring sleepily back at him, with the same expression Bobby supposed he was wearing himself.

Bobby shakily stood up, grabbed his crutches and limped back down the stairs, the mirror still in his hand. He made his way across camp and into New Athens. It took him a good minute to finally get to his home.

He knocked on the door, hoping his mother would answer.

As luck would have it, she did. "Bobby?" she asked. "Is something wrong?"

He smiled. "No, nothing's wrong."

She grabbed him by the ear. "Then _why_ did you _walk_ here when you clearly shouldn't be doing that?"

Bobby yelped, rubbing his ear when she finally let go. "Sorry. I wasn't thinking about that."

Annabeth pinched the bridge of her nose. "I swear to the gods, you and your sister are too much like your father for your own good."

She finally looked at the mirror. "What's that? Did you steal that from your sister?"

Bobby grinned at her. "No, but…We should go inside. I've got something to tell you. And trust me, you're going to need to sit down."

* * *

**_A/N: I support the fact that Luke deserves a happier afterlife than Eternal Punishment. At least he felt sorry and tried to make up for his bad choices in the end, unlike Octavian._**

**_HOWEVER, I think Hades would at least punish him in some way, since there has to be SOME justice to what he'd done._**

**_And yes, I just made Bobby Luke's reborn soul! It hit me like a ton of bricks, this plot bunny, and now I have put it out here for all to see. It had occurred to me that I had named the son of Percabeth Bobby after Bob (obviously I intended that) but forgot completely about LUKE. If I had named Lacy 'Lucy' I could have BS'ed and said it was a female form of Luke in honor of him. But then I thought of this possibility and went back to the Last Olympian to research. He said he'd try for rebirth and I thought YES! So, since I believe it would take a while for processing, Luke got reborn as BOBBY!_**

**_Yay for coincidental events and fates intertwining throughout the generations!_**

**_Last note: Solangelo comes next!_**


	18. Illuminate

**_HOLY SHIT I ACTUALLY GOT WI-FI FOR A WHILE!_**

**_*happy dance*_**

**_Still not home, but I do have enough wi-fi to last me a few posts._**

**_Please refer to my latest Adventures in Parenting chapter for announcements on my life at the moment._**

**_Solangelo time! Yay!_**

**_However, there's a part where all my Leo fans are going to cringe. It's going to be painful. Believe me, it was hard for me to write. Just know when you read that part, I decided to not use my 'Between Lives' one-shot. I went in a completely different direction._**

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

**18: Illuminate**

_Bright in Many Ways_

Nico di Angelo sat cross-legged on one of the infirmary beds. He was extremely bored out of his mind, waiting for Will Solace to finish looking at other patients.

He was obeying Will's wishes to stay in the infirmary and not do any Underworld-y stuff, but only just. If Will wouldn't hurry up, he'd sneak out and do something else, maybe walk around camp or see Annabeth's dream drafts of New Athens, the town Camp Half-Blood planned on building to mimic New Rome.

His fingers drummed his knee more and more, and he found himself running his hand through his hair.

"Keep fidgeting like that and someone might think Leo is possessing you."

Nico turned his head. Will was standing next to his bed with a smirk on his face. He held out a syringe.

Nico grimaced.

"C'mon, Nico," Will scolded, like he was addressing a child. "I gotta do it. It's not like it's gonna hurt too badly."

Nico held out his arm, but looked away. He hated needles. Two seconds later, he felt a prick, followed by a cotton ball pat-down.

"All better," Will exclaimed. "Want a lollipop?"

Nico scowled. "Am I done?"

"Hold your horses, Doom and Gloom. What's your hurry?"

Nico thought back to Will's comment about Leo possessing him. He wanted to make sure Leo's spirit had made it safely to the Underworld. It was the least he should do, considering the sacrifice the son of Hephaestus had made to save the world.

But he couldn't do that with Will breathing down his neck.

Will frowned. "C'mon, Nico. I know you're thinking about doing Underworld-y stuff. I told you no. Not for another three days."

"I just need to check on something."

"Absolutely not."

They had a staring contest for a good minute before Nico began to get lost in Will's gaze. His mind got distracted by how bright his eyes were. Nico lowered his eyes and tried to hide his rising blush.

Will nodded. "I'm saying this because you need it. The war's over, you can relax now. I'm sure whatever Underworld thing is bothering you—even if it's your dad—can wait for three days."

Nico nodded, but he knew this couldn't wait. Leo's death—it felt wrong. It felt, _unfinished_. He needed to go down and see what was up.

* * *

Will knew Nico would try something. He waited until around midnight, when the son of Hades usually tried things.

The son of Apollo snuck into the infirmary, where Nico was supposed to be resting. Of course, Nico wasn't resting. He was standing up and walking towards a dark corner.

"Oh no you don't!" Will yelled, sprinting for Nico.

Just as Nico turned around, he began to shadow travel. Will grabbed his arm. He'd meant to pull Nico away, but the son of Hades' power proved too strong. They were both pulled into the shadows together and dragged down deep into the Underworld.

* * *

When the duo arrived, Nico collapsed. Travelling to the Underworld wasn't _quite_ so strenuous on him as he thought, so there was no immediate threat of him becoming a shade, but it still taxed him.

Everything around him was dark and gloomy. The Underworld usually gave off that vibe, but this time it was even more so, like he was looking through sunglasses.

A hand arrived on his shoulder. Nico turned and squinted. Will Solace was crouched next to him, a stern look written all over his face. Was it Nico's imagination, or was Will glowing?

"You dummy," Will scolded. "I told you not to do Underworld stuff, and what do you do? You travel to the Underworld!"

"You followed me?" Nico rasped. He felt like he needed a drink. Was it hot around here? "Why did you grab hold of me?"

"To make sure you didn't _stay_ down here!"

Nico got lost in the intensity of Will's eyes again. He tore his gaze away.

"Why did you decide to come down here, anyway?" the son of Apollo demanded. "You promised you'd stay at camp from now on."

"And I will," Nico retorted. "I just…I need to confirm something. I need…I need to check on Leo."

Will paused. Apparently he hadn't thought of that answer. "Why? You said he's dead. Was that a lie?"

"No, he'd dead. That much I'm certain of." Nico rubbed the back of his neck. "It's just, he felt different than the others. Something doesn't sit right with me about how he died, and something else tells me he's not where I think he is."

Will opened his mouth to say more, but a plethora of screams reached their ears. "Where exactly are we in the Underworld?"

"Fields of Punishment," Nico answered. "We're at the very edge, where the River Plegethon borders it."

"And why are we here?"

"I was aiming for the location of Leo's soul." Nico gulped. "I'd hoped to end up on the other side of the Fields of Punishment—at the gates of Elysium or across the lake from the Isle of the Blest, where he belongs."

The son of Hades looked around. "But I sense Leo's soul _here_. Why?"

"Help!"

Nico's blood turned to ice. He knew that scream. Apparently, Will did too, for he jumped up and ran for the river Plegethon. Nico hastily followed, yelling at him to stop before a Fury saw him.

A few steps later and both teens were frozen. The great river of fire, in a blaze of terrifying glory, raged past them. Souls were scattered inside the river, lashed to the shore and anchored beneath the surface, only their heads staying above the flames. All of them were screaming in agony. Nico recognized them mostly as arsonists and murders who played with fire.

One spirit's screams drowned the rest out. He was struggling, his arms free and flailing. His legs must have been anchored to the bottom of the river, for he didn't move with the current. His soul was charred and his skin peeled, but Nico unfortunately recognized it.

Leo Valdez.

Nico didn't want to believe it. The happy, scrawny, sarcastic son of Hephaestus was _here_ in the Fields of Punishment—as a criminal soul!?

Will began sprinting for the shore, but Nico intercepted him. "No," he howled. "You might get dragged into the current!"

Will didn't reply. He just gazed at Leo's screaming soul.

"Anyone!" Leo called. "Please! Help me! It hurts!"

Nico's gut twisted. Leo was a fire user without his powers, now. He was forced to drown in a river of fire, simultaneously burned alive in the process. But why?

A wave of flames made Leo's head disappear for a moment. He resurfaced and cried out in agony.

Darkness edged Nico's vision. Leo's struggling form began to blur. Nico slumped to the ground, but held his hand out towards the son of Hephaestus. "Free," he muttered. "Free him only."

Leo's leg anchor chain must have snapped, for he suddenly was swept downstream. He struggled against the current and ended up on the other bank, collapsing into the dark sand—or, more accurately, ash. He didn't get up.

Nico was about to join in on the 'not getting up' party. He felt himself slipping. Freeing Leo from his punishment had been the last straw. He was finished. At least he was in the Underworld—it wouldn't be too far of a journey to his fate.

A bright light invaded his vision. Was that the sun? Why was it so bright?

Nectar was forced down his throat. Warmth spread through his system, its starting point in his hand.

Nico looked up and saw Will Solace's face staring at him. His whole form banished away the darkness surrounding him. He was like a warm nightlight, illuminating the whole Underworld.

"Almost lost you," Will breathed. "You are such an idiot, Death Boy. What were you thinking?"

Nico drank in the light Will provided. "I couldn't let Leo suffer like that. He didn't deserve it."

Will looked sad, then shifted his gaze up past Nico. Nico followed it, siting up. A Fury—Alecto, he remembered—had her arms crossed. She was standing a few feet away.

"Master Nico," she sneered. "Of all people, I should hope _you_ would know when justice should be served."

"Justice?" Nico tried to stand, but his legs felt like jelly. He could only manage a glare at Alecto. "What sort of justice is that for a savior? He destroyed Gaea! He saved Olympus and the world from total destruction! You should reward him by allowing him to rest in Elysium, at the very least!"

The Fury bared her fangs. "The brat broke an oath on the River Styx. He died before he could fulfill his promise to another, and now he pays the price!"

She pointed to the river, where the other two Furies were binding Leo's legs back onto an anchor. They hauled him up into the air. Leo weakly wiggled, but he couldn't find the strength. They dumped him into the river again and he howled in agony. He found strength anew and began to struggle again, flailing in the fire river and yelling for help.

Nico felt tears well up in his eyes. Will embraced him and forced him to look away. Alecto sneered again.

"Savior or not," she said, "he must honor his oath. Perhaps if he returned, he might redeem himself by fulfilling such a promise. But I doubt that will happen."

_The physician's cure_, Nico thought. Leo had the real one, according to Hazel and Frank. But what good did it do him now that he was dead and his body was gone? Leo was suffering now because he was unable to take the cure…

Alecto glared down at him. "Do well to remember justice next time, Master Nico. Leo Valdez's fate is decided. We won't tell your father of your foolishness this time, but don't let it happen again." She spread her wings and took off. The other Furies followed her as she flew deeper into the Fields of Punishment.

Will took Nico's arm. "I'm sorry, Nico."

Nico allowed a few tears to fall. "I can't believe this. I didn't know Leo that well, but still…he didn't seem like the type to break an oath."

Suddenly, Nico was held in an embrace. He stiffened, but Will's warmth took over and he returned the hug. Will's glow brightened just a bit.

"Let's get out of here," the son of Apollo urged. "Can you call Mrs. O'Leary?"

Nico nodded. He drew his fingers to his lips and whistled.

A huge hellhound appeared and bounded towards them. She stopped a foot away and licked Nico's face. Nico grimaced.

"Fine, fine," he complained. "We need to get back to camp. Please take us there."

Will helped him onto the hellhound's back and together they held on tight as Mrs. O'Leary shadow-travelled out of the Underworld. The cries of Leo Valdez faded away, but the agony in his screams clawed at Nico's heart relentlessly.

Even though he wasn't personally shadow-travelling, Nico felt weak. He closed his eyes and passed out, not even caring if he didn't make it out of the shadows.

* * *

A light illuminated the surrounding darkness. It was like Nico was staring into a spotlight or looking up from the bottom of a well. The light expanded and Nico realized it was Will Solace again!

Nico blinked up at the son of Apollo. It seemed he was always glowing, always illuminating the darkness in which Nico usually hid himself. Normally, Nico would find that extremely annoying; he liked the dark. He loved it, in fact. But Will's illuminating glow felt warm and precious to the son of Hades.

"So glad you're awake," Will said breathlessly. Nico noticed he was sweating, and looked rather tired. "You came really close," he said. "I used everything I could to help you come back. Been at it for three days. Even got Coach Hedge to give me his satyr herbal medicines."

Nico nodded, sitting up. He felt much better, though he could tell his legs weren't up for walking just yet. "Thanks," he muttered.

Will put a gentle hand on Nico's leg. "I haven't told anyone—especially Piper or Jason—about Leo. About what we saw."

Nico held back tears. "It's best if we let it stay a secret," Nico said. "Leo was a hero, and he deserves Elysium. Let everyone keep believing that. He's beyond saving now."

Will embraced him. The hug was warm, and the room brightened more. Nico didn't hesitate to hug back and sob into Will's shoulder. He knew Will wouldn't judge Nico's decision on this matter. He didn't judge Nico's decision on Octavian's death, so he definitely would respect Nico's wish to keep everyone in the dark about poor Leo's tortured soul.

Perhaps, in a few years, or even in a few decades, Nico would illuminate everyone on the hero's situation. Piper and Jason might not be brash and try a suicidal rescue attempt then.

For now, though, Nico allowed the son of Apollo to be the only illumination in his life. It was what he needed most, in more ways than one.

* * *

**_A/N: I told you this would hurt your Leo feels :(_**

**_I'm still not home, but I did manage to snag some wi-fi before traveling again! I'll go and post the Leo-Frank bonding one-shot before I have to go! See you!_**


	19. Dusk

_**FINALLY HOME, GUYS!**_

_**And what's the first thing you guys see? I hope you all remember THEODORE VALDEZ! :D**_

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

**19: Dusk**

_Not the End, but a Continuation_

"Theo, turn off the TV. It's almost time for dinner."

Theodore Valdez flicked the remote and muted the television. The six-year-old turned around on the couch, peeking over the side with wide eyes.

Adults were walking around, some carrying chairs outside, others food. Theo's Uncle Tulio paused to ruffle his nephew's hair as he passed the couch. Theo grinned and hopped off, following his uncle into the kitchen.

Uncle Miguel, Tulio's partner, was fishing a few more fries out from a Little Daddy fryer and placing them onto a huge mountain of fries. Tulio grabbed the mountain's plate and paraded it outside.

Grandma Hazel, Theo's father's mother, nearly tripped over a green blanket on the ground. "Diego!" she sighed as she hurried outside.

The three-year-old brother of Theo toddled into the kitchen, sucking his thumb and looking confused. Grandpa Frank almost barreled into him and nearly dropped the plate of tacos he was holding. "C'mon, Diego," he said. "Get your blanket and go outside."

Diego sucked his thumb some more and picked up his blanket. He looked around and toddled deeper into the kitchen, getting under everyone's feet. Uncle Miguel shrieked in alarm when he slid over the blanket Diego was dragging.

Uncle Zac, Theo and Diego's youngest uncle, appeared and saved the day. He picked up the quiet three-year-old and carted him outside. Diego didn't protest. He was just genuinely confused at all the commotion.

Theo was handed a stack of plates with silverware on top and instructed not to drop them. The six-year-old nodded mutely and slowly made his way out into the yard, where the big meal was happening.

Thanksgiving was a big deal for the Valdez and Zhang households. Though they didn't really celebrate the Indians and Pilgrims version, both families loved the excuse to get everyone together. Classes wouldn't be scheduled, work was forgotten, and other plans were cancelled.

They also threw away the common turkey theme, instead dishing out ham, mashed potatoes, rice, peas, corn, stuffing, burgers, fries, enchiladas, tacos, burritos, and beans. The family gathering radiated _Mexican-American_ just as much as it did _American_.

Aunt Aria was helping Uncle Gus—Dad's brother—with placing some lights around the tree and fence line. Two bronze dragons lay curled up in a corner by the house, one with ruby eyes (Festus) and one with sapphire (Icarus). Even though they were both the size of eighteen-wheelers, the yard was enormous, with enough space for the two to play around without harming any houses. That was the best thing about the house of Esperanza and Sammy Valdez; even in New Athens they had a big plot of land. Many people did, but that was beside the point.

As Theo placed the tower of plates on the table, he saw his _abuela_, Calypso. Theo liked his _abuela_. She was sweet and gentle, though she was much more no-nonsense than his Roman grandmother, Hazel. She tolerated childlike behavior unbecoming a six-year-old, but Theo knew pushing a former Titan's buttons was not worth it in the long run.

Calypso glanced around with narrowed eyes. "Espie, have you seen your father?" she asked.

Esperanza Valdez, Theo's mother, shook her head as she carved up the ham. "Not since lunch."

Sammy Leo, Theo's father, looked up at the women. "He's not inside?"

"Far as I know, no," Frank grunted as he heaved a bowl of stuffing up.

"Bathroom?" Gus called.

Aria shook her head. "Ian's in there." Ian being a trombonist son of Apollo that played in the same Broadway orchestra group Aria was in. He was also her fiancé.

Espie and Calypso looked a little worried.

"Try the shop?" Frank suggested.

"Just closed up," Zac announced as he settled Diego in his high-chair. "_Papi_ wasn't there. Would've heard him banging around."

"Plus Festus is here," Sammy added. "Festus would sense Leo moving somewhere and follow him."

"And where Festus goes, Icarus is sure to follow," Miguel said. "If automatons had a sexuality, I'm pretty sure they would be gayer than Tulio and me."

Tulio punched him in the shoulder and arranged some chairs.

Theo looked up and saw a glint on the roof. With his extreme ADHD, the child couldn't ignore a shiny object. He walked over to the automaton dragons and asked to go on the roof. Icarus happily obliged and let him ride on the dragon's head as it lifted into the air. No one seemed to notice as the six-year-old precariously walked upon the roof of the two story building.

In the setting sunlight, Theo noticed a silhouette perched near the western edge of the roof. A curly-haired figure in a wheelchair sat still, facing the sunset.

Theo smiled and walked up to the head of the family. Leo Valdez's figure was solemn, his gaze far away. Theo tapped on his chair's arm, feeling the hum of machinery secretly lying inside the wheelchair/hover chair.

Theo loved his _abuelo_ more than any of his grandparents. He was constantly told that he was just like Leo, with extreme ADHD, a love for tinkering, the ability to understand Creak and Squeak. And, of course, he looked like Leo with golden eyes. He also was fireproof. No such luck at producing flames like Leo or Espie, but Theo was perfectly content with fireproof.

"_Abuelo_," he said. "Mommy and _Abuela_ are looking for you."

The 53-year-old man looked down upon the child and smiled. His hair, which used to be black, was now grey and white, turning whiter by the day. His hands were gnarled and calloused. Wrinkles and smile lines littered his face. Working every day had taken its toll, and being bound to a wheelchair had accelerated his aging, it seemed. But, he kept up his smile and good spirits all the same, never dreading the future of older age.

"Hey, Tito," he greeted. Theo liked that nickname, which his _abuelo_ had given him right at birth. Leo said it was because Theo reminded him of the Chihuahua on _Oliver and Company_. Theo didn't mind—that was his favorite Disney movie. "They freaking out already? I leave their sight for ten minutes and the world's suddenly ending with them."

He patted his lap. "Sit with me."

"Momma says I'm getting to old for that," Theo informed the old man.

Leo chuckled. "She can be a spoil-sport sometimes. It's not like you're gonna hurt me."

This was true. Leo couldn't feel anything below his waist, so a scrawny six-year-old's weight wouldn't do much. Theo climbed aboard and sat still on his grandfather's lap. He used to love riding around like this while Leo hovered and sped off. Diego did, too.

"Why are you up here?" Theo asked.

Leo shrugged. "Need to recharge. Even the great and powerful Leo Valdez needs some alone time away from the zoo."

"Should I leave?"

The son of Hephaestus chuckled. "Nah. You're fine. I just meant I needed some time away from all the organic life forms rushing around below. A man needs at least five minutes of quiet time."

"Uncle Tulio says stuff like that."

"I bet he does."

Theo put his finger on his chin. "_Abuelo_, what's a…_organy lie form_?"

"_Organic lifeform_," Leo corrected. "It means living things like plants, animals, people—things Hephaestus and his kids have a hard time understanding sometimes."

"Like girls?"

"_Especially_ girls."

"How long you gonna be up here?"

"Not too much longer. Another five minutes, maybe." Leo grinned. "I'm also enjoying the sunset. It's nice to watch alone, sometimes."

"I bet it's better to watch it with me."

Leo ruffled the kid's hair. "You got my cheeky attitude. I bet your parents hate that."

"Momma says I'm too much like you for my own good," Theo said with a grin.

"And she's right. But don't let that spoil your fun."

"I won't!"

A pop, like the sound of a bubble bursting, sounded behind the duo. Theo looked over his _abuelo_'s shoulder and saw his Uncle Tulio standing on the roof. His arms were crossed and he had an amused expression. "Nice hiding spot,_ Papi_."

"I do try my best," Leo said. "What gave it away?"

"Icarus kept glancing at the roof. He helped you get up here, didn't he, Tito?"

Theo grinned. "Maybe."

Tulio gestured to the yard. "Everyone's waiting for you, Houdini. And Espie's not too thrilled that Theo suddenly vanished either."

Said legacy of Hephaestus smiled sheepishly.

Leo pointed to the horizon. "Sun's almost down. Wanna watch?"

Tulio sighed and sat down next to Leo.

The three Valdezes, each a reflection of the other, sat in a rare silence, watching the last of the sun's rays fly away from the horizon over New Athens and Camp Half-Blood beyond. The beauty of the scene was reflected in chocolate, almond, and golden-colored eyes.

Eventually, after the sun had set, the three of them got off the roof. Tulio merely teleported back down, while Leo hovered down with Theo on his lap.

Espie scolded Theo for being on the roof, first. Then, she asked how he'd gotten up there. Leo joked that he'd inherited his _abuela_'s teleportation abilities, which earned the old man a smack.

Everyone settled down for dinner finally, digging in to the strange assortment of food for a Thanksgiving evening. In the fading light, the Valdez Clan (plus three Zhangs) told stories and reminisced.

Zac told everyone he was doing well in the New Athens college, getting good grades while also performing well in the family machine shop. He started hinting that he liked a certain girl in one of his classes, and got a bunch of snickers and prods from his siblings and brother-in-law.

Aria and Ian happily told stories of their fun times in the Broadway orchestra. Their orchestra was for _Oliver!_ the musical, and held a few good small solos for Aria on her violin. Ian recounted a tale of how one of the percussionists had accidentally slipped, which ended with their sticks inside of a tuba right before the intermission ended.

Augustus said he was doing well in the New Athens veterinary school, where he was getting his degree. He'd started in New Rome with the basic courses and moved to New Athens to finish schooling. He also had a job interview later that month for a vet's hospital near Frank and Hazel.

Miguel had designed another popular saddle, which was earning his household a nice bit of cash. Tulio jumped in with his usual, "I got another fat check for patenting the hover chair" brag. That actually never got old, considering the hover chair was the biggest success in technology since the automobile.

Espie's paintings sold for very high prices out in New York. Many of them were now displayed in art museums. Some of them were being sold to out of state museums, now. She was the bread-winner in the house, since Sammy Leo had resigned to being a stay-at-home dad with a summer training program in CHB—though he contributed some of the funniest stories at the table with his adventures as a trainer.

All of their parents were proud of them and congratulated each in their achievements. Theo took a moment to observe his _abuelo_. Leo's chest was puffed out a little, and his eyes sparkled. He was extremely proud of all of his children.

Theo hoped that, one day, he would make his parents look like that. He wanted to make them proud. He wanted to make _Leo_ proud.

Dusk settled in on the clan as they told jokes and laughed about things passed. For any other family, perhaps dusk would be a time to slow down, a time to cease in the merry-making, and stop the fun.

For the Valdez family, the dusk meant the fun continued.

And, in some cases, dusk was when the fun _began_.

"Diego, don't eat that pinecone!"

"Tulio, why is Icarus running around the yard with a sapling in his mouth?"

"Gus, really? You got rice in my 'fro!"

"Tito, could you please pass the mashed potatoes?"

"Theodore Valdez, where did you get that catapult? Don't you dare—no—_Papi_! Oh, it's all over your face, _Papi_!"

"Not my plate, Tito, but close enough."

* * *

**_A/N: Yay for happy family!_**

**_And yes, that was yet another Valdez you saw there. Diego Valdez is the second grandchild of Leo Valdez. Hope you liked your first glimpse of him!_**


	20. Dawn

_**Doop. A short one, but I know you'll all enjoy it :)**_

_**Leo again, obviously. This happens right before the Wilderness School, in case you don't know.**_

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

**20: Dawn**

_A Sign of Good Things to Come_

Leo ran as fast as he could down the dark alleys of Phoenix, Arizona. He really did it this time, trying to steal from the local Walmart. Usually he went for farmer's markets or flea markets or small businesses, but he decided to be stupid and try to sneak stuff out of a place with buzzers that sensed shoplifters.

To be fair, the new iPod generation was totally kick-butt and Leo really needed to get to know it on a deep, personal level. Then he would remake it and get some pirated stuff on it.

Apparently, Walmart didn't appreciate that kind of thinking.

Sirens blared through the evening air. A policeman tried to keep up with the fourteen-year-old Latino while simultaneously trying to yell into his walkie. Leo knew he was calling for backup. Twice now Leo had thrown a trash can lid or a brick at him to try to lose him. The guy wouldn't give up!

Leo spotted a police car at the end of the alley and cursed. His mind whirled and he immediately went into what he liked to call _ninja mode_. This was when his mind went blank for a few seconds and he found ways to escape that normal people wouldn't think up so quickly.

He hopped on a dumpster and shimmied up the drain pipe until he reached one of the fire escape windows. He smashed the glass and flew inside, not even flinching as shards pierced his palms. A large piece cut a deep scratch into his knee, but he ignored it. He heard the policeman shout something about getting into the building.

Leo thought a mile a minute. The most rational—and possibly the most predictable—thing would be to go _up_ and get on the roof. But Leo knew apartment buildings like this one. They had better places to hide. Like the basement. If Leo went as far down as he could before the police broke down the door, he could find a safe place to hide until they passed and skedaddle down to the basement. He would then try to find a sewage drain.

His plan worked perfectly. The dumb policemen immediately assumed Leo had gone to the roof and ran up the stairs. Leo had hidden on the second floor, just outside the stairwell. He quietly escaped to the basement.

The sewage drain was barely big enough for him to squeeze through, but Leo knew it widened after about ten feet. If he could just get his shoulders past the entrance, he was home free.

It was an extremely tight fit, but Leo somehow managed it. He grimaced as the slimy gunk from the drain smeared against his legs and chest. He also bit back a cry of alarm as he felt a sharp sting in his knee. The glass wound! Oh, Leo knew that was bad to get such a fresh wound so dirty, but he had no choice. He didn't want to get caught again. He didn't want to get back into the system!

He gritted his teeth and suffered through it, finally replacing the lid on the drain and slithering down the hole. As he predicted, the drain widened after a few feet and he dropped like a stone into nasty sewer water.

Leo resurfaced and dragged himself out. He flopped onto dry-ish concrete and examined the glass wounds. The ones on his hands were raw, but not bleeding. They would sting for a bit, and the water down in the sewers definitely wouldn't help.

His knee, though, was another story. Slithering down the pipe had opened up the wound a little more. With that came more gunk.

Leo sighed and plodded through the sewers, knowing that he wouldn't find clean water for miles down here. He couldn't risk going topside so soon, so he hoped his leg could hold out until tomorrow.

Leo had no idea how long he'd walked in that sewer. It felt like forever. He'd started out walking, then he had to limp, and finally he began dragging his leg. Leo knew he'd gotten an infection. He already felt sick, but he pushed himself to keep going.

He found the sewer's exit and sat down at the edge of the drain that emptied out into a ditch. The sun was just coming up, which meant Leo had been walking all night!

No wonder he felt so tired. Leo found a dry spot under the drain pipe and hunkered down. The dawn was a peaceful setting. It was soft and forgiving. Leo hoped that meant good things. He wasn't overly superstitious, but the dawn today seemed very welcoming. Perhaps it meant a good day was coming, or that his life would change for the better.

Leo decided he would worry about the rest of the day later. He felt tired. So, very tired. He closed his eyes, promising himself he would only allow a few hours rest before moving on.

That particular dawn _did_ mean something for Leo. Though he certainly didn't believe it at the time, it was a fortune of good things to come.

Leo had been found mere hours after he fell asleep. A couple of policemen—not the ones originally chasing him, mind you—had been patrolling nearby and glimpsed Leo sleeping. They tried in vain to wake him up; a sickness had washed over him from the open infection in his leg, causing Leo to only awaken for a few seconds before passing out again. So, they took him to the hospital, where he spent the next two days recovering.

Social Services were contacted, and the police made a report. The two blundering officers from the chase recognized the description of the boy and brought up the theft.

Social Services gave Leo a choice: Go to juvie, or be sent to a boarding school called the Wilderness School. Leo chose the school, even though they had promised he couldn't run anywhere when surrounded by nothing but _desert_.

How did that dawn mean good things?

Had the police never found Leo, he might have succumbed to his sickness and died alone in Arizona.

And even if he wasn't sick, without the police finding him, Leo would have moved on and kept running. He probably never would have gotten caught. He would have missed his ticket into the Wilderness School. He would have never met Piper McLean or Jason Grace or any of his siblings at Camp Half-Blood. The _Argo II_ never would have been built and the world might not have been saved.

And an immortal girl might still be stuck on an island, forever waiting for the gods to keep their end of the bargain made with Percy Jackson and free her.

That dawn had been the most important in Leo's life, and he never even knew it.

* * *

**_A/N: Short, I know, but I think it's fine the way it is. :)_**

**_As always, I love hearing what you guys think of the chapters, so don't hesitate to tell me!_**


	21. Quest

_**You know those times when someone tells you to write something based off of a word and you have absolutely ZERO creative juices flowing for it? This is one of those times.**_

_**This is between TLH and MoA, before we see Leo's video scroll in SoN. I wanted to get into the minds of the Lost Hero trio before the quest actually starts (since Annabeth's PoV is the first we see in MoA).**_

_**It's not my best. Keep that in mind :(**_

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

**21: Quest**

_Penny for Your Thoughts?_

Was Jason nervous? Oh yes. He stood next to the lake looking at the monstrosity of a ship Leo had built, wondering if this was such a good idea. The Romans were already facing doom—did they really need a warship to come up to them?

Jason tried to put on a brave face. The toga he wore felt overdone, but he insisted he wear it. He wanted to look professional for the Romans.

Now he felt silly.

_Chill, man,_ he scolded himself. _Reyna will understand. Once you explain what happened, I'm sure they won't freak out._

That was about the time Festus roared and shot a fireball into the air. He looked extremely threatening.

Jason grimaced and faced Annabeth. "Um," he squeaked. "Are you sure this is such a good idea?"

Annabeth nodded, though she looked nervous herself. "I'm sure we'll be fine. Leo knows what he's doing."

Jason glanced at Leo, who was grinning like a madman. "I trust Leo for a lot of things, but…"

Jason felt a chill. For a moment, his vision tunneled. The chill hit his spine and made him shudder. Something hissed in his ear, but he shook his head and ignored it.

"But what?"

Jason looked at Annabeth. She was giving him a weird look.

"Don't you think this is a bit…_much_?"

Annabeth shrugged. "We're in a hurry. We've got no choice. If it makes you feel better, Leo wanted to stick a smiley face on the hull to show we come in peace and I told him no."

Jason sighed in relief. "I do appreciate that."

Annabeth left him alone for a moment, and Jason let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. The chill from earlier was gone, but Jason still had a bad feeling about it.

* * *

Piper was nervous. It should have been about the quest—about Leo building the awesome-yet-dangerous flying ship.

No, Piper was more worried about leaving the Aphrodite Cabin back in the care of Drew. Unfortunately, no one else was qualified for the temporary leadership.

Drew was already acting all high-and-mighty, but Piper hoped she'd helped the others in the cabin to grow a bit of a backbone—just enough to deal with their terrible half-sister for a few weeks.

"You sure you can't stay a little longer?" Lacy asked her as they made their way to the dock.

Piper shook her head. "We're already late as it is. The Romans could be in danger!"

Lacy looked a little crestfallen. "I know…"

Piper held her hand. "Remember what I told you. Ignore Drew's taunts. Don't let her see you afraid. She's just a bully."

"And bullies can't feed if they're ignored." Lacy smiled. "Got it."

Piper hugged her half-sister. "You'll be fine. Drew's calmed down a bit since last winter."

Lacy's eyes bulged. Piper followed her gaze and saw Leo hanging off the bow of the ship without a harness. He was buffing up Festus, his legs the only thing keeping him from falling into Long Island Sound.

Festus creaked and twitched. Leo scolded him, but Piper was too far away to tell what he said.

"Isn't that a little dangerous?" Lacy asked.

"He's handled worse," Piper informed her. "He wants Festus to be spotless for the Romans. First impressions, and all that."

"I don't think buffing a dangerous fire-breathing automaton dragon is going to make it look less dangerous."

Piper giggled. "Oh, hush."

Piper was still a little apprehensive, though. It wasn't just Festus that seemed dangerous. The whole ship looked ready for war. She couldn't help but notice the ballistae on the deck.

_One wrong button and Leo could accidentally fire on an unsuspecting city_, Piper thought darkly.

She shook her head. _No, we have to trust him. Leo knows what he's doing._

* * *

Leo felt the butterflies in his stomach but pushed them down. "Hold still, Festus, I'm almost done."

The bronze dragon head whirred and clicked in response. Leo frowned. "Relax, bud. We're in camp. There's no threat here. Except maybe the Ares and Nike cabins when they face off in Capture-the-Flag, but that's different."

Leo twisted himself and lifted back on to the deck from the railing. He cracked his neck and waved at everyone on the pier.

"What's takin' you guys so long?" He called. "We've got a date with some Romans!"

Jason, in his ridiculous robes, came aboard first. Annabeth and Piper followed close behind. They all had trunks and bags packed, and Buford had helped tote them to their respective rooms.

Leo saluted the three. "Welcome aboard, shipmates! I am Captain Valdez, your boss. You all must do as I say or I'll be making you walk the plank. Understood?"

"Leo," Piper warned. "Stop goofing around and get us in the air. The Romans are waiting."

"You know, you're supposed to say 'Aye, aye, Cap'n.' It makes it that much more fun."

Annabeth shook her head. "Please, get us out of here."

Leo shook his Wii remote and pressed some buttons on the console when he hopped over to the controls. The glorious _Argo II_ rose into the sky quickly. The campers and Chiron all shouted good-bye and good luck from below.

Leo froze for a second. For a strange moment, he had the urge to steer the ship straight down into the water. _Splash_—end of quest. His hands shook with the effort not to do it. His vision went foggy, almost like he was in a dream.

_Kill them_, a voice hissed in his ear. _Kill the Greeks—no, kill the Romans, first. Then kill the Greeks._

Leo unfroze. He shook his head and looked around. He'd spaced out for a second there. _That was weird_, he thought as the warship shot through the sky towards the other end of the country. _What was I thinking about, again?_

Leo shrugged it off and steered the ship to New Rome, not worried about anything other than Jason's funny toga ripping off halfway to California and slapping Leo in the face.

* * *

**_A/N: Eh, sucky at best. I want to get past this and the next chapter so we can get to Pillar, cause that one's a really fun one! Though, to be honest, if I don't get out a better idea for Thrilling, I'm probably gonna switch it with Pillar. :)_**


	22. Thrilling

_**Managed to think of something for this after all!**_

_**So, you all remember that arc in The Keys where Espie had to choose between Sammy and Mark? Remember when Sammy talked to Leo about love? Hope you all remember a specific part there, because it plays a key role here. You'll know it.**_

_**Also, sorry it's short, but there's really nothing else to this :P I at least enjoyed writing it, which is more than I can say about the last one! xD**_

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

**22: Thrilling**

_The Valdez Version of the Talk_

Sammy Leo, in the back of his mind, was regretting his decision to do this. This idea was going to give him a heart attack. His nerves were on edge, like when you drop down 300 feet on a ride and hope you don't crash.

Leo Valdez had woken up about a month ago from his coma. He still acted sad sometimes, looking mopey at his now-paralyzed legs, trying not to cry. Espie had told Sammy Leo that her heart was breaking to see her father like that. Tulio's awesome wheelchair could only cheer him up so much.

This was why Sammy Leo decided to help. He'd asked Tulio to make this, saying it was very important for Leo.

Sammy held the item behind his back as he rang the Valdez family doorbell—aka: the gong bell that customers used in front of the shop/forge.

Andy the Telekhine entered the waiting room, yawning. In addition to giving the monster a job for his college credit, the Valdezes allowed Andy to live inside a small one bed, one bath apartment above the waiting room. It seemed a weird set-up, but somehow it worked. "We're closed," he mumbled sleepily.

"I'm uh, here to see Mr. Valdez, Andy," Sammy Leo said. "I have something for him."

The Telekhine nodded and allowed Sammy to move on to the house portion of the building.

It was only 9PM on a Saturday, so Tulio and Espie were hanging out in camp with others (Sammy specifically told them to go away for a bit while he did this) and Aria and Zac were still young, so they were probably upstairs in bed.

Calypso was sitting on a rocking chair, patching up a pair of little jeans. Leo was watching TV next to her, simultaneously fixing a loose wire in Tiny Festus Mark 247's circuitry. A couple other TFs (marks 65, 43, and 109) waited patiently for their turn.

Calypso's eyes found the legacy of Mars hovering in the swinging doorway. "Sammy," she said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Sammy Leo gulped. "Um, I'd like to talk to Mr. Valdez," he said. "I told Tulio what I wanted to do, and he said he'd tell you."

Calypso smiled. "I understand." She turned to a confused-looking Leo. "Sweetie, I'm going to go check up on Aria and Zac." She kissed her husband and left to go upstairs.

Leo squinted at Sammy. "Uh…What's this about?"

Sammy handed the son of Hephaestus a long package. Leo skeptically examined the box before unwrapping it. Inside was a long rifle accompanied with a rag.

"What is this?"

Sammy smiled and pulled a dining room chair into the living room. He sat down across from Leo and stayed as straight as possible. This whole ordeal was making Sammy sweat. His heart raced. This felt worse than being on a rollercoaster for the first time "You said before that whoever became Espie's boyfriend—me, or Mark—would be getting an 'overprotective-father-cleaning-his-rifle' talk. I figured you'd want to have it now that Espie's out of the house for a while."

Leo grinned. He hefted the rifle, examined it, then aimed and shot Sammy Leo in the forehead.

"Hey!" Sammy protested, rubbing his forehead. "What was that for?"

Leo chuckled. "I know machines. This ain't a real gun—it's a BB gun."

"Well thank the gods it was," Sammy growled. "Or else you would have murdered me!"

"That's for making my baby girl cry right before she chose to go out with you," Leo said smugly. The son of Hephaestus shot Sammy in the chest, which made the legacy sore. "And that's for dating my baby girl." He started to actually clean the BB rifle with the rag after that statement.

"You know, that's not the way this works, right?" Sammy complained.

"You know I don't give two shits about how it's supposed to work, right?" Leo shot back with a grin. "Espie's my baby girl—my eldest girl. I have a right to protect her. Take that shot as a warning; you hurt my baby girl and I'll make sure the next bullet out of this gun isn't foam."

Sammy chuckled nervously. "I'm sure if I hurt her, she'd just end up hurting me with more than just a BB bullet. Your daughter is amazing, sir. I can't think of many situations where I'll be the one saving her."

Leo's chest puffed out a little. "She gets that amazing streak from me," he boasted. "But she's still a girl. Sometimes, they need saving." He looked wistfully at the stairs, where his former Titaness wife had disappeared. Then, he looked back at Sammy. "And I expect the last thing my daughter needs saving from is her own boyfriend."

Sammy Leo nodded. "Of course." He eyed the rifle warily. "Is, uh, is that it, sir?"

Leo shrugged. "I know you're a good kid, Sammy. Hell, you're named after my _bisabuelo_. I'm happy that my daughter is happy with you. But know this: You make her hurt, make her sad and alone—I will not hesitate to hurt you, regardless of your parents' friendships with me."

"Understood, sir." Sammy stood and put away the chair. "I had Tulio make that, so I guess you can keep it, Mr. Valdez."

"Sam."

Sammy turned. Leo was smiling. "You can call me Leo. Dating my daughter doesn't change how you address me. And one more thing…"

He shot Sammy in the leg twice. The legacy of Mars yelped in surprise and hopped around on one foot. He glared at Leo.

The son of Hephaestus grinned impishly. "That's for giving me a BB gun. Be prepared, because I might ambush you now."

Sammy smiled and left once he could walk again. The thrilling rollercoaster had ended, and Sammy had survived. But now he would be paranoid for at least the next month, hoping Leo wouldn't shoot him in the face again.

Leo was definitely going to give Sammy a heart attack, one way or the other…

* * *

**_A/N: Because I can totally see Leo shooting his future son-in-law in the face with a BB gun. Cause he's an awesome father who loves his baby girl._**

**_Next up is something many of you have wanted for a while:_**

**_IMP LEO AU ONE SHOT! YAY!_**

**_None of you will guess how 'Pillar' involves our favorite fire imp, Leo. NONE OF YOU WILL GUESS! MWA HA HA!_**


	23. Pillar

_**I'm a little sad I'm not getting as many reviews as usual. Kinda bums me out, especially when I get excited for a chapter like this.**_

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

**23: Pillar**

_Her Knight in Flaming Hair_

Calypso wished the insufferable son of Apollo would go away.

Kyle Rockafeller, newest Apollo camper, was a tall, dark, and handsome fifteen-year-old with muscles so huge he could pass for an Ares camper. Technically he wasn't new, but he'd been on a vacation when Leo Valdez had returned to camp with Calypso in tow. The moment he saw Calypso hanging out alone in camp, he immediately began chasing her and flirting.

Leo was visiting Frank and Hazel at the moment, meaning he was away in New Rome. He was going to explain his new situation—and by situation, of course, that meant his new-found fire imp-hood. Thanks to an _empousa_ bite reaction, Leo was now a fire imp, complete with two additional feet of height, golden dragon legs, flaming hair, red wings, a devil tail, and complete control over his usual fire abilities. At first he'd wanted to be human again, but the call of the imp within him proved too powerful and he stopped trying to find a cure. He could still look like a human, but he preferred to have a long devil's tail out, which defeated the purpose of trying to look normal.

Anyway, Calypso's imp boyfriend was now on the other side of the country freaking out the Romans. And that left her, a former Titan with healing abilities and Titan's strength…with an exasperating son of Apollo who wouldn't take a hint.

Every day Kyle would wait by an entrance pillar to the dining pavilion. Not even every day—every _meal_. He would just stand there, leaning against the pillar, looking smug. It was as if he was thinking, _this is the time she'll say yes. This is when she'll kiss me._

Calypso tried not to gag every time he puckered his lips at her. Sure, he was handsome, right up there with the big boys, but Calypso's tastes leaned more toward short, scrawny, and impish—y'know, when her boyfriend was in human form.

"Calypso!"

The former Titan groaned as she approached the pavilion. "Kyle," she growled.

The son of Apollo beamed. "Hello, sweetheart," he greeted. He looked ready to fling himself onto her.

"I'm not your sweetheart."

"C'mon, babe." He trotted to keep up with her as she walked past the pillar. "Don't be like that. It's been, what, two weeks since your supposed _boyfriend_ left? He's probably already smooching some Roman girl by now."

"Just because you are a pig, doesn't mean Leo is," she snarled. "Leo isn't disloyal. We've been through this. Stop flirting with me if you know what's good for you."

He grabbed her wrist. It surprised her that he was stronger than he looked. This was also the first time he'd been so forceful. "Or what?" he challenged. "I heard you're on probation, sweetie. You can't use that awesome strength against any ally demigod for two whole years, or else they send you right back to that miserable island."

"I don't need to use my strength," she spat, wrenching her arm free.

"Then you'll rely on that miserable wimp? I saw his statue. I saw a picture of him. He's _pathetic_, babe. You'd be better off without him."

She narrowed her eyes. "Have you even heard of what he has done?"

Kyle flexed his muscles. "Yeah, yeah. He exploded and took out a primordial goddess. Big deal. He used his flames. I bet he couldn't beat me in a fair fist fight."

Calypso smirked. "So you have no idea what Leo's gone through since coming back to life?"

"Doesn't make a difference, Callie."

She poked him in the chest. "Then how's about we settle this, once and for all?"

He perked up. "You'll kiss me and dump that elf?"

"No. Let's make a bet. You versus Leo in a strength challenge—or fist fight, whatever you want to call it. No weapons. No flames. You both give it your all, no holding back."

He grinned evilly, looking like he'd just cheated and won the lottery. "A no-holds-barred strength contest between that scrawny Mexican Smurf? I'll win that easily. I win, you dump him and go out with me, _and_ you do everything to make sure it looks like a real relationship in public."

"And if Leo wins," Calypso said, not bothered by his threat, "you stop flirting on me forever, and every time I'm within ten feet of you, you will bow. And trust me; I will make _sure_ you bow down like the cowardly bug that you are."

He shrugged. "Fine. That'll never happen anyway."

* * *

When Calypso Iris Messaged Leo about the challenge after lunch, he was downright pissed. In the mist, Calypso could see him explode into his full imp form. He'd never done so with such a bang, so the whole mist screen went white for two seconds and the sound cut off. Unfortunately, that had been at the Legion Chow Hall, and not all of the Legionnaires had heard about a friendly fire imp walking amongst them.

Needless to say, fire extinguishers, hoses, and a billion swords were involved. Leo apologized to the Legion—especially to Reyna, who was not very happy about a second explosion caused by the son of Hephaestus. After all that, the IM was still going, so he said he'd fly home straight away.

Four hours later, a bronze comet came out of the sky and Festus landed in camp. Calypso went up to greet her boyfriend and calm him before he went full imp.

Of course, he already _was_. He flew down and towered over Calypso, kissing her passionately. When they broke, she said, "Change back."

"Oh, no," he growled. "I'm not gonna change back until I kick his ass!"

She slapped his cheek. "Change back and don't bring out your tail," she chided. "You'll kick his ass in due time. Now change before he sees you."

Leo shrank. His wings and tail disappeared and his flaming mane turned into a nest of black curls. His features dulled and rounded again. He crossed his scrawny arms. "Fine. When's the fight?"

"At dinner," she promised.

"Where?"

She smiled. "By the entrance pillars. He likes to hang out there and flirt with me, so I figured…"

She relayed her plan to him. He grinned. "Sounds painful. Sure Chiron won't mind?"

"He's with the Party Ponies," Calypso said. "And Mr. D doesn't care about any of the demigods besides his own. Who's to stop you?"

Leo's grin got wider, and for a few seconds, his teeth became fangs and his eyes caught fire. "Fantastic."

* * *

The dinner horn sounded. Campers flocked toward the pavilion, but this time, they weren't in line to get food. They wanted to see someone get the stuffing beat out of them.

Kyle had apparently not done his research or asked around when it came to Leo Valdez. He only knew about the Leo that had died and come back to life. He didn't know anything about the Leo that was now an imp with godlike strength.

Calypso held Leo's tool belt as her boyfriend stalked up to the son of Apollo, who was leaning on the same pillar like always.

Kyle barked out a laugh. "This is a joke, right? You're even _smaller_ in person! So tiny I could pick you up!"

No one else was laughing. No one else _dared_. Every other camper knew of Leo the fire imp. They knew of his initial rampages and forest fires. They knew he was very protective—_territorial_, even—of his girlfriend, like a wolf fighting for his mate. Sure, he could handle the joking flirts from the Stolls or from anyone who didn't actually want to take her from him. But, this was the first time someone was openly challenging the son of Hephaestus to a fight for her.

And that challenger was probably going to die twice over now that he'd made fun of Leo's human height.

Kyle kept laughing. Leo put up his tiny fists. The son of Apollo slapped his knee and howled in delight.

"Look at you," he cried. "So wimpy! I bet I could drop kick you before you even swung your fist!"

He rolled on the ground, unable to breathe, crying hysterically.

Leo put down his fists and looked at Calypso. She nodded.

The son of Hephaestus's body lengthened. His feet—which were bare in preparation—transformed into dragon talons, his legs quickly growing golden scales. Wings sprouted from his back. A tail whipped behind him. His skin turned transparent, allowing anyone nearby to see his inner fire. His hair became a mane of flames. His cute impish features hardened, sharpening.

He walked up to the laughing demigod, not catching fire. Calypso warned him not to use fire, only his full strength. _Don't hold back_, she said. He was happy to oblige.

He looked down at Kyle and snarled, "This is a joke, right? _You're_ the one who wants to fight me for Calypso?"

Kyle stopped laughing and looked up. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped to the ground.

Leo crouched and put his nose in Kyle's face. "I mean," the imp continued. "You're so much _smaller_ in person. So tiny…" He grabbed the demigod by the collar and hoisted him into the air. "…I could _pick you up_."

Kyle thrashed immediately. "Hey," he protested. "Put me down! This isn't fair! What are you?"

Leo slammed him against the pillar with a force so strong it rattled Calypso's teeth. Kyle's eyes rolled around for a second. "I'm Leo Valdez, resident _fire imp_. I'm also Calypso's boyfriend."

He threw his fist into Kyle's gut, effectively making the mortal spit out blood. Then, he slapped the kid in the face, immediately bringing out teeth and instantly swelling the cheek.

"When Calypso tells you she's not interested," Leo growled, dropping Kyle. "She's _not interested_. Remember that next time you flirt with a girl. When I flirted, I had the decency to know when to stop and when to be annoying."

Kyle tried to run, but Leo wrapped his tail around him. He lifted Kyle up. "Of course," he said, his mouth dripping with venomous lava. "I doubt you'll be coming back anytime soon to try a new flirting method."

Leo grabbed the pillar and heaved. The whole pillar cracked and split from the base. The top wasn't connected to anything, thank the gods, but it was still tall. Leo hefted it and held it like a baseball bat made for giants.

"You're a son of Apollo, yeah?" Leo grinned, baring his fangs. "Hope you got his healing abilities. This is gonna hurt. _A lot_."

Kyle wiggled in Leo's tail binding. "This isn't fair," he babbled.

Calypso walked up calmly and stroked Kyle's swollen cheek. "You said _no-holds-barred_. We agreed no weapons or fire. Leo's only using his strength. It's not his fault you challenged a fire imp with immortal strength."

"He's using a weapon now!" Kyle protested. "The whole pillar!"

"Please," Leo said, smirking. "As if you had a chance _before_ I grabbed it. You wanna complain about technicalities, come crawling back and fight me again. I won long before this."

Kyle yelled in alarm as the devil tail threw him high into the air. Everyone watched as he gained altitude and began to fall straight down, flailing. Calypso took a step back.

Leo called out, "And Leo Valdez steps up to the plate! It's a fast ball! He swings…"

He swung the pillar and hit Kyle square in the back. The demigod went flying. Going. Going. Going…Gone.

"HOME RUN!" Leo screamed as the son of Apollo disappeared over the horizon.

The crowd cheered and clapped. Jason and Piper punched Leo as he put the pillar back. He welded it together again with his fire and rubbed his arm.

Piper scolded him on being so violent. Jason helped with some criticisms, too, but Leo just turned back into a human (with an imp tail) and laughed.

"Relax, guys," he said. "It was Calypso's idea. If she'd let me loose without telling me to hold back my fire, I probably would've burned him to a crisp."

"You hit him with a pillar," Piper screeched. "He's probably dead!"

Calypso patted her on the shoulder. "I may or may not have used a bit of Titan magic to cushion the impact. And his fall. Don't worry, Leo knew the whole time."

"Once Calypso told me her plan, I was all for it," Leo explained. "I don't think I would actually beat a guy to death. You know me; I like a good explosion any day!"

He exploded a nearby rock, which made pieces shoot into the air like fireworks.

Piper still scolded both of them, and Calypso and Leo both promised they wouldn't do anything so violent and reckless again.

…at least, not when Piper was around.

* * *

**_A/N: Remember, Leo has an imp side now, so he's a tad more violent than usual, but it's still our Leo-boo :3_**

**_Remember to tell me how you liked it, guys! Reviews still make my day!_**


	24. Autumn

_**Another REYCENT ONE-SHOT!**_

_**Bet you all weren't expecting that for Autumn.**_

_**By the way, I'm glad you all enjoyed the last chapter! It warms my heart to see those reviews! :)**_

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

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**24: Autumn**

_A Very Special Ocassion_

Reyna felt a bit nervous. How in Bellona's name had Leo gotten his information, she would never know. All she knew was that now a bunch of her so-called friends had arranged for herself and Vincent Rose—her boyfriend—to come visit New York for an Autumn Festival in Central Park.

Vincent was perfectly excited, of course; he'd never been to New York and had never met Reyna's New York friends, though he'd met a few ex-Legionnaires. She was very skimpy on details of her life, which he honestly respected and never pressed about. Reyna would have loved to tell him about demigods and such, but she supposed she was worried Vincent would break up with her and think she was crazy.

Seeing as Vincent didn't know about the magical world, the couple had to take a plane, not pegasi. Reyna prayed Jupiter was in a good enough mood for the day.

When they arrived at the airport, right at the baggage claim stood a group of people who seemed to bounce in excitement. Reyna recognized Leo Valdez immediately—the shortest of the crew, and the bounciest. Jason and Piper were next to him, with Frank and Hazel taking up the rear. Leo held a sign that read: _Reycent from San Fran_

Reyna braced herself, ready for the worst. If that sign was indicator enough, this was going to be a long visit. Vincent left his suitcase for a second and grinned. "You must be Reyna's friends!" He glanced at the sign. "I already like your sense of humor."

Leo grinned. "Nice to meet you, Vinnie! The name's Leo Valdez, but everyone calls me the Super-sized McShizzle."

Piper slapped him upside the head. "No they don't," she told Vincent. "Everyone calls him stupid." She stuck her hand out. "Piper Grace."

"Vincent Rose."

Everyone shook hands and introduced themselves. Reyna craned her neck. "Where are the kids?"

"Calypso's lookin' after the twins and Sammy," Leo said. "And Percy and Annabeth are babysitting Mark. Percy already had plans with his mom for the week anyway, so he decided to bring Sora with them."

"Ah."

They all piled into a van, Frank in the driver seat, eager to get to the hotel. Vincent had asked if it was worth them getting a hotel and Hazel said it was easier than driving up from Long Island.

"So," Vincent drawled. "Mind my asking what you all do?"

"I'm a jeweler," Hazel said. "I make various necklaces and rings for people."

"I'm a camp leader for two different camps across the country. I travel back and forth to oversee construction and counseling changes," Jason said. "I also do a summer tutoring program for the New York camp."

"Busy guy," Vincent said with a whistle.

"Same with the tutoring program at the camp," Frank informed him. "Though mine's more year-round."

"What kind of camp?"

"Let's just say it's a camp for troubled teens," Leo joked.

"I'm just a stay-at-home mom," Piper said. "But sometimes I like to act as adult counselor to my old cabin."

"This must be quite the camp," Vincent remarked.

Reyna shrugged. "They all live extremely close to it. And half of them were senior counselors there in their time."

Vincent chuckled. "Troubled teens, huh?"

"And still troublesome adults," Leo said proudly. "By the way, I'm a mechanic and blacksmith. Best in the 'biz, second only to my dad."

Vincent gave him a weird look. Reyna whispered, "He's not bragging. Leo's father is practically the god of blacksmiths."

"Though you wouldn't have guessed it based on Leo's muscles as a teen," Piper said. "Skinnier than a scarecrow!"

They all laughed. Leo asked, "What do you do, Mr. Southern California?"

"I'm a drama teacher and acting coach at a university," Vincent informed them. "I prefer to work on musicals and comedies."

"_A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum_ is his favorite show," Reyna said.

Jason chuckled. "That influence your decision to like him?"

"Among other things."

They continued the conversation long into the drive to the hotel. Vincent had inquired about all the kids, which brought up Leo's prodding questions about Reyna marrying Vincent and having Reycent babies. That earned him a smack from Reyna, though she tried not to catch the wistful look in Vincent's eye when Leo had brought up marriage.

She promised herself she wouldn't think of such things with a mortal. There was no way she could allow him to get a request to live in New Rome. She wanted to tell him about her life, but…she also didn't want to expose him to the dangers.

Of course, she was doing just that, surrounding him with demigods that would definitely attract monsters.

Speaking of which…

The group hadn't even made it into the hotel before Frank announced that he needed to check something out. He'd turned the corner, blocking anyone's view of what sounded like a battle between a bear and a harpy.

Vincent turned his head. "What was…?"

Leo steered him into the hotel. "New York has some crazy shit here, let me tell you. This one time…"

The son of Hephaestus rambled into a ridiculous made-up story about a beavecoon (whatever _that_ was) migrating to New York and nearly biting Leo's foot off. Vincent, preoccupied with laughing, dropped the subject.

Soon, they were all settling in to their rooms. Vincent and Reyna would be sharing with Leo (Oh, joy), Piper and Jason would share with Frank and Hazel. Frank came back with a scratch on his arm, but Hazel bandaged it up in their room before Vincent could notice.

After settling in, the group hailed a cab and headed for Central Park. The cab was a tight squeeze, so Frank said he and Hazel would catch up. Leo rode shotgun, so that left Jason, Piper, Vincent and Reyna squished uncomfortably in the back.

"Tell me again why we aren't taking that van from earlier?" Reyna wheezed as the cab drove down the streets.

Leo turned. "Piper only…_rented_ the vehicle for, like, an hour or two. We had to return it to the hotel after we picked you guys up."

_Translation: Piper used her charmspeak to steal the van for a while._ Reyna shook her head. _They could have done it twice…_

Frank and Hazel had beaten them to their destination. Not surprising, since Reyna had spotted a giant eagle flying overhead on the way, with a dot of a person on top of its shoulders.

Vincent cracked his back when they exited the cab. "Yikes," he remarked. "Next time, I call shotgun."

"With Leo's muscles, I'm sure we'll be even more squished," Piper grumbled.

Said son of Hephaestus grinned. "Say that part about the muscles again? I'm afraid you said that into my bad ear."

Vincent looked around and whistled. "Wow. Central Park is amazing."

Jason clapped him on the back. "Wait 'til you see the interior. Fall's the best time to see this place."

The group walked down one of the paths slowly, taking in the scenery as they went. Vincent took a selfie with Reyna. She had told him at the beginning of the relationship that she was not a fan of constant selfies and instagrams. Vincent was okay with that, but they agreed he could do selfies with her once in a while. This had been the first in about a month.

Leo also took selfies, sending them to his wife and posting them to _FaceScroll_, a website specifically for demigods designed by Leo and patented by the Stoll brothers. It was literally Facebook for demigods. Everyone was on it now except Reyna. She used Facebook, mostly because of Vincent.

They heard the festival before they saw it.

Game tents were scattered across a big clearings. A little petting zoo stood near the entrance. A few rides, mostly for kids, dotted the area. Lanterns were strung up in the trees, and autumn festival flags hung from some branches.

Leo immediately disappeared among the throngs of people. Frank and Hazel opted to stay near Vincent and Reyna while Jason and Piper went to go find some souvenirs for the kids.

Vincent challenged Frank to a few games, which made the girls compete as well. Frank inevitably won the strength challenge, hitting the bell easily—Vincent didn't even make it halfway. He fared better at the shooting game, ironically. Reyna was surprised he was a better shot than the archer son of Mars.

"I have my secrets, too, hon," he said smugly, giving her his prize: a purple elephant. "One of which is the fact that I am a part of the archery club at the college."

Frank clapped him on the back. "Full of surprises," he remarked.

They all met up again for some festival food. Leo's face was now orange and gold and red, like a leaf. He had red and orange beads around his neck, and was carrying a hundred plushies, one of which was a huge teddy bear won from the ring toss.

"Got enough toys, Valdez?" Vincent prodded playfully.

Leo shrugged. "One of my kids likes to experiment on the things I give him—make them cyborg toys, you might say. The other one loves her plushies."

"Which one gets the bear?"

"My wife."

They all chuckled.

Vincent leaned over to Reyna. "Reyna? Um…Do you think that's a part of the festival?"

Reyna cocked an eyebrow and followed her boyfriend's gaze. She sucked in a breath. A medium-sized drakon was sniffing around the game tents. Mortals tended to avoid it like it was a rather large dog or a homeless person. The drakon lifted its head and locked its gaze onto the group of demigods.

Reyna didn't know what Vincent saw, but she led him away as Jason and Leo intercepted the monster. "Why don't we go over here? I feel like we need some…uh, funnel cake."

"But…"

"No, seriously, let's get some funnel cake."

"Reyna, stop."

The daughter of Bellona halted in her steps when Vincent pulled on her arm.

Vincent gave her a long look. "You saw it, didn't you?" he asked. "That dragon-thing?"

Reyna blinked. "What? I don't—"

"Reyna, seriously, just stop. I know you see them. The monsters."

Reyna sighed. "Yes. They're real. My friends see them, too."

Vincent let out a breath. "_Phew_! I thought I was the only one!"

"Excuse me?"

Vincent grinned. "Seriously, I've been seeing monsters all my life! I thought I was crazy when I was a kid!"

"I don't believe it," Reyna muttered. "You mean you're _clear-sighted_?"

"Is that what it's called? Cool!"

Reyna held Vincent's hand. "Look, Vincent…monsters aren't the only things that exist. Let's…let's take a walk."

* * *

"Wow…I'm dating a daughter of Bellona…"

Reyna had been surprised at how well Vincent was taking this. She supposed that Vincent seeing monsters all his life and actually enjoying Roman history and mythology helped him cope with the truth.

They were now on the Ferris wheel, on the way up. The others had taken care of the monster, but Vincent and Reyna had lost them in the crowds during their talk.

"I'm sorry I never told you before," Reyna apologized. "But…"

Vincent held out his hand. "I understand. You thought I might dump you because I'd think you were crazy. I had the same doubts about telling you about the monsters…I thought if I kept that secret, I would be protecting you somehow."

Reyna kissed him. "Exactly. But, now that you know, I feel better about dating you."

Vincent smiled. "Good to know, but you won't be dating me after tonight."

Reyna pulled away. "What?" _Is he…does he want this to end?_

Vincent pulled out a box and opened it up. Inside was a little diamond ring. "I'm hoping you will be my _fiancé_ after tonight. Reyna…will you marry me?"

Reyna blinked in surprise. Lady Venus was suddenly in her head: _I told you! I told you! Say yes! Become Mrs. Rose!_

Reyna smiled at him, for once agreeing with the goddess of love. "Yes. Yes, I will!"

Normally she would have thought about a big life-changing decision like this. Normally, she would have planned this all out. But with Vincent…she didn't feel the need to do that. He was clear-sighted, so that took care of the monster-believing problem. He accepted her past—godly or otherwise—without pitying her. He made her smile. He was willing to love her for who she was. For him, she would be willing to put in a petition for him to live in New Rome. Even if that failed, she would find a way for him to live as close as possible and move in with him. She was willing to make this work, no matter what.

They kissed at the top of the Ferris wheel, right as it stopped. The autumn leaves flew around them in a sunset of colors, as if dancing to the music inside the lovers' heads.

Below, Leo, Piper, and Hazel snapped photos of the fiancés. Piper nudged Hazel. "I told you he would propose. I could see the plan in his eyes all day."

Hazel giggled.

Leo snapped another photo and posted it to _FaceScroll_. "Never doubt a daughter of Aphrodite."

* * *

**_A/N: Hee, I couldn't resist. Reycent will live as long as Rick doesn't follow up on Reyna's love life somehow._**

**_Yay!_**


	25. Teddy Bear

_**Holy Hephaestus, I really just did this :o**_

_**I'm not changing the story type for one chapter, but consider this your warning:**_

_**CROSSOVER CROSSOVER CROSSOVER!**_

_**Yes, I did a crossover. Somebody call the police!**_

_**I got this idea as I was rereading the Crown of Ptolemy today. I thought to myself as Percy had his thoughts about the future of his family, 'what if Lacy had a favorite toy named...?'**_

_**I couldn't resist.**_

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

**25: Teddy Bear**

_Or, You Know, Teddy Camel_

Percy Jackson yawned as he shuffled through the cabin. He and the rest of the Seven (and their families) were spending a few weeks at a cabin in the mountains down south. It was a sort of getaway retreat, a vacation away from New York and demigod stuff.

Leo and Calypso, who was about six month pregnant, with their twins, were curled up on a blow-up mattress in the den. A few Tiny Festus robots skittered around the cabin, supposedly a defense in case a monster attacked them as they slept. How powerful they were supposed to be, Percy hadn't a clue.

Frank, also-pregnant Hazel, and Sammy Leo were sharing the couches in the living area, while Jason, Piper, and Mark slept in main bedroom. Piper had supplied the cabin, so she argued the Grace family get the best room. Percy, Annabeth, Lacy, and little Bobby got to stay in the second bedroom.

Percy shuffled over to the kitchen and fished out a bottle of water. Annabeth could drink coffee all she wanted. Percy got his energy from water well enough.

"Daddy, can I have one, too?"

Percy jumped. He looked behind him and smiled, handing his daughter, Lacy, a second bottle of water. The eight-year-old happily chugged it. She was still in her blue nightgown and bunny slippers, clutching her favorite toy, Sadie the camel.

Yes.

Her teddy bear was a camel named Sadie.

Percy thought of that. Annabeth thought it a little amusing. No one else understood the joke.

Percy patted Lacy on the head and downed his own water. "Wanna go for a morning swim, sweetie?"

Lacy's eyes lit up brighter than the sun. "Yes! Can we practice some more?"

Percy grinned. "Get dressed an you'll find out."

* * *

"Okay, Lacy," Percy called out from across the water. "I'm gonna push Sadie with my waves. You gotta counter me. Sadie can't get wet, okay? A drop is fine, but don't let me submerge her. Okay?"

Lacy nodded. She was in her swim suit, waded out as far as her belly. Percy was even further, holding Sadie the camel toy. He placed it onto some driftwood and began pushing.

Percy knew this exercise would help keep Lacy focused. Gods knew he had a tough time doing that when he first learned to control water. In life, he still sucked at keeping his attention on one thing. At least he'd learned to focus during a fight. Lacy needed that skill, too.

Lacy did well, pushing her own waves against Percy's, keeping Sadie the camel afloat and dry. Percy let her have that confidence for a few more minutes before putting in some tiny whirlpools.

"Dad!" Lacy protested. "You said you were using waves!"

"To push," he countered. "I never said I wasn't going to use other methods to sink her."

Sadie came really close to capsizing, but Lacy somehow steadied the driftwood and kept her afloat.

"Good job, Lacy! You're doing great. Now, let's see how you handle this!"

* * *

At that moment, a certain magician duo was wandering through the woods, looking for their runaway griffin, Freak. They had been flying him around for some exercise when the darn thing had bolted south—way far south. He'd thrown both Carter and Sadie off the flying reed boat when they hit the mountains. Sadie had landed in a tree; Carter, in the mud.

"Brother, I do believe that wasn't mud," Sadie complained as she held her nose.

Carter sent her a glare. "It _was_ mud."

"Keep tellin' yourself that. I'll just stay ten feet away at all times."

Carter grumbled.

"SADIE!"

Both magicians froze. Carter looked at his sister. Sadie shrugged, just as confused as him.

"I don't think I'm the only Sadie in the world," his sister said.

"FREEEEEEAAAAK!"

Carter sighed. "But I think there's only one Freak."

"No there isn't," Sadie argued. "If there was, you wouldn't be here."

Carter resisted the urge to smack his sister. Even in their twenties, she had that annoying streak. They ran through the trees and came out into a clearing with a pond in the middle.

Freak the griffin was splashing around the pond, taking a nice bird bath and gargling water in his beak.

Two people were wading around the griffin cautiously. One was a little girl with blonde hair. She splashed aimlessly at Freak—could she actually _see_ him?—the other was…

Sadie squinted. "Is that Percy?"

She was right. Carter could see that the man in the water _was_ Percy Jackson! And that little girl had to be his daughter!

"Dad," the girl whined. "That mean gryphon ate Sadie!"

Carter was confused. Did the little girl have a sister named Sadie? Or a pet? _If it's a pet, I hope it's a rat. That'd show Sadie!_ He nearly snorted out loud.

Sadie put her hands on her hips. "No, he didn't," she called. "He'd be getting a hole in his stomach if that was the case!"

Percy snapped his head around so quickly, Carter thought he might get whiplash. The son of Poseidon grinned. "Hey, Carter! Hey, Sadie! What brings you here?"

Carter pointed. "That's our griffin, Freak."

"FREEEEAAAAK!"

"Can't imagine why he's named that," Percy remarked. "I think I would have gone for Birdie, personally."

Sadie grinned and shed her jacket. "Original. I thought about Chicken, once, but Carter said no."

"He would. I guess it's out of respect for his giant chicken man mode."

Carter rolled his eyes. "Don't start that again! It's a falcon-headed warrior!"

Freak squawked and flapped his wings, spraying water everywhere. The little girl growled, "Give her back, you meanie! Sadie's _mine_!"

A giant water fist popped up out of the water. Lacy went red-faced, scowling as the fist punched Freak right in the gut.

The griffin coughed, like he had a hairball, then spat out a little plush toy—a camel plush.

Carter lost it. "You named the camel toy after my sister? _Genius_! Why didn't _I_ think of that?"

Sadie punched him.

Percy laughed. "I take credit for that. Lacy found the camel in a toy store and fell in love. Annabeth said it reminded her of when Sadie kept dropping camels on the bad guys, so…I couldn't resist suggesting the name."

Carter wiped a tear from his eye. "Fantastic."

Sadie kicked off her shoes. "Brother, since Freak doesn't seem to be going anywhere soon…fancy a swim?"

Before Carter could say no, she pushed him into the pond. She jumped in immediately after. Percy and Lacy laughed as the two siblings thrashed in the water.

* * *

"Mama, where's Lacy and Daddy?"

Annabeth looked up from her book. "Haven't seen them all morning. You know your father; he's probably doing something dumb."

Calypso smirked from her seat on a separate couch. "It can't be too dumb, otherwise Leo would be gone with the twins."

Leo grumbled in the kitchen as he cooked breakfast with Hazel. "Too early to make fun, _mi sol_."

"No such thing," Piper called from the designated 'girls bathroom', where she was changing. Jason and Frank were snickering from their seats next to Annabeth.

Just then, the back door opened. Everyone looked to the back area of the cabin.

Annabeth smiled at the group of people entering the abode. Percy was dry, as was Lacy, though both were wearing swimsuits. Lacy clutched her favorite Teddy Camel protectively, like it was going to be snatched out of her hands any second. Then there were the two people entering behind Percy. "Well, well," she said. "Look who it is: dripping wet and…smelling odd."

Sadie Kane snickered, nudging her brother. "Told you it wasn't mud."

"It was!"

"And they would be…?" Jason questioned.

"Sadie Kane," the blonde answered. "And this wet skunk over here is my brother Carter."

"Hey," the young man greeted shyly. Annabeth still couldn't get used to how different the siblings were.

Leo glanced out the window. "Um…Why is there a gryphon playing with Festus?"

"Freak likes shiny objects," Carter explained. "And your dragon is ridiculously shiny."

Leo grinned. "Well, he did just get a bath."

Percy chuckled. "Speaking of baths, Carter…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know…Fine, it _wasn't_ mud."

* * *

**_A/N: Hurr. This is how the Seven (sans Percy and Annabeth) will meet the Kanes. I hope I got them right, since I've never done the Kanes before._**

**_DON'T EXPECT ANY KANE CHRONICLES STORY BECAUSE IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN. This is most likely gonna be the only time I get the Kanes in the spotlight, though now I might make references to them when Percy and Annabeth have their moments._**


	26. Snuff

_**I wish to point out that I had to look up the definition of snuff. I knew of two meanings, one of which is very...shall we say leaning towards adult content, but I was hoping there would be a third one I could use, because if there wasn't, then it was all aboard the 'Sad Leo feels' train.**_

_**Guess what.**_

_**There wasn't.**_

_**Choo choo :(**_

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

**26: Snuff**

_V: To Extinguish (Ex: To Snuff Out a Light)_

Jason was usually known as a tough guy. In his twelve years in the Legion, he'd seen more than his fair share of tragedies. All of them were sad, sure, but this…this ceremony he was about to go through would be the most depressing thing he'd ever witness. Hands. Down.

It was a full month after the Giant War. Camp Half-Blood was, more or less, rebuilt and functional again. Construction on the new city of New Athens was already underway. Exchange programs between Roman and Greek camps for next summer were in development. Life had returned to normal.

Well, as normal as it can get immediately following a war with a primordial goddess and her giant, dragon-footed brood.

The whole camp, plus both praetors and a lot of centurions and legionnaires from Camp Jupiter, was gathered in what would soon be known as _Hero Plaza_, a place in New Athens that would honor the great demigod heroes who saved the world during the Second Giant War. Meaning: the Seven plus Nico and Reyna. New Rome had gotten a similar treatment, and it had been cool to see the Seven Gardens unveiled for the first time.

However, with _this_ particular opening, the Greeks had to face reality. A very harsh reality that had been sitting over the camp like a cloud since the war ended.

The other eight statues representing Jason, Percy, Annabeth, Piper, Frank, Hazel, Nico, and Reyna had been unveiled already. The last one, the one sitting directly in the middle of the ring the other eight created, was still covered. The cloth that covered it was unlike the sheets that had hidden the others. This one was immensely special.

This one was a funeral shroud.

The shroud was red, with a hand-stitched bronze automaton dragon flying in the middle, shining with each movement of fabric. The sides were lined with little Argo II's, and half the ships were covered in flames that also rippled and shone with movement. In one corner, in small lettering, the words **_Leo Valdez_** were stitched delicately.

The sight of Leo's funeral shroud made Jason want to curl up in a corner and cry.

Chiron stomped one of his front feet, asking for silence. It was well met, considering not many people were in the mood for talking now.

"Thank you," Chiron said. "Now, it is my unfortunate duty to announce the final statue unveiling. The Second Giant War was a hard one to fight. Many were lost. Of those we lost, only one was left without a funeral, for his body was never found.

"Hope can be good and bad. We hope for people to return. But the reality of life and death can be harsh, and hope can put one into a pit from which they cannot crawl out."

Jason was in that pit right now. Leo was his best friend. He deserved to live, deserved the hope everyone had that he was still alive somehow.

"Now we must face this reality. One of the greatest heroes of this generation is not returning to us. This hero made the greatest sacrifice any hero could ever make. If any demigod deserved Elysium—no, the Isle of the Blest—it would be this demigod. Tonight we burn the shroud of Leo Valdez to honor his memory. Jason. Piper."

Both demigods walked up to the covered statue stiffly. Jason's heart was about to burst. He didn't want to do this, but Leo wouldn't want them to drag this out. He hated boring speeches.

Which was why Piper and Jason both agreed that Jason be the one to say one speech. "Leo," he began roughly, already feeling his voice begin to crack. "Leo was my best friend. He was the funniest, corniest, stupidest guy I've ever known. He knew how to solve problems, no matter how ridiculous or hard they were. Everything about him radiated _dork_, but he was the strongest dork in the world.

"Anyway, Leo actually did make the greatest sacrifice. And we all wish he didn't need to. But, we all know he wouldn't let anyone take the hardships. He believed he was the only one that needed to bear all of the pain. He didn't need to, but he still did it anyway. And I wish it hadn't happened, but it did, and we can't change it...

"With the burning of this shroud, we reveal Leo's statue, and we honor his memory. He wouldn't want us to delay this, mostly because he'd want us to see his awesomeness forever encased in marble."

Jason pulled out a lighter. Piper held his hand as they raised the lighter up to Leo's shroud. It lit up like the Fourth of July, quickly revealing Leo's honorary statue in Hero Plaza. His wild grin was permanently etched on his marble face. One of his hands held marble flames, which was one of the coolest effects in the world.

The last bit of Leo's shroud fell to the ground, a tiny flame still holding on. Jason watched as it quietly died.

_What a metaphor…Leo's flame was so much bigger than that tiny flicker._ Jason's eyes watered. He let the tears fall this time. _And yet…they were both snuffed out just as quickly._

He looked up at the statue. "Rest in peace, Leo. You've earned it."

* * *

**_A/N: *sigh* Why couldn't I leave it alone? Why did I have to make Leo feels?_**

**_Because it's me, that's why :P_**

**_Anyway, if any of you didn't follow me, and you want some HAPPY LEO FEELS, then feel free to turn your attention to my newest One-Shot for Father's Day: You Raise Me Up, which is all about Espie at high school graduation. I promise, that one will make you cry happier tears._**


	27. Prism

_**I know you all wanted something happy to mellow out that sadness from the last chapter, but...I'd planned this one out in my head a while ago. Valdez feels all around!**_

_**Short, but I couldn't really drag this out any more. I hope it gets the job done!**_

_**Also, to Omega: I'd appreciate you actually logging in so I can reply, as I'm not going to hunt you down to give you an answer and I feel conversations like this should be held over the PMing system, not for the public to see, as it is no one's business to see what you plan or what I want.**_

_**I don't wish to be a part of that sort of crossover. I only like to see crossovers within the same fandom (like mine and Artemisapollo's Leo universes) or from different stories by the same author (Like HoO and TKC). I'd rather not have my characters be dipped into the Pokémon fandom. Don't get me wrong, I love Pokémon, but I prefer my characters to stay where they belong. In the Heroes of Olympus/Percy Jackson side of Fanfiction.**_

_**Thank you for thinking of my characters, but please don't think to include them unless it's a HoO fanfiction.**_

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

**27: Prism**

_The Thoughts of Samuel Valdez Senior_

Sammy Valdez Sr. sat in his rocking chair. His fingers tapped out a rhythm on the armrest restlessly.

Today was the day.

He knew this was the day he would leave. He was old. He was frail. He was...well, maybe not _alone_ in the sense he had a family, but he still felt like he was in solitary.

Sammy lifted himself out of his rocking chair and shuffled inside before his granddaughters started fussing. He gazed at the pictures on his wall and shelves as he passed through the hall. Almost all of them had been based on a lie. A lie over which he'd never forgiven himself.

He gently patted his pocket, a habit he'd picked up when he was just a boy. When he'd picked up that cursed diamond, Sammy had always made it a point to never lose it. He took the darn thing everywhere, in every outfit. He even snuck it into boot camp, though it hadn't been hard since the diamond was only the size of a pistachio.

Then he went and sold it.

Sammy balled his fist, remembering the day he'd sold it. He'd been dirt poor, out of a job, out of the military, and out of options. He'd come back to New Orleans to start again at age twenty, but this world wasn't accepting colored workers, especially Mexicans.

He'd stood in front of that pawn shop for ages, second guessing himself and turning back and forth before mustering up the nerve to go in. If he'd had anything else..._anything_ that might have supplied the funds for this venture, he would have sold it. But the only thing he had to his name was a tool box full of semi-new tools, old coveralls from the Air Force, the clothes on his back, and a cursed diamond. The moment he joined the Air Force was the moment his family said 'good riddance'. He'd tried going back, but his father just kicked him out, flat on his butt.

Sammy picked up the photo of him on the first day of his life in Houston. He'd managed to snag a job as an assistant mechanic at some family place. The pay had been terrible. The conditions were awful. Sammy could barely afford a cardboard box, let alone an apartment. But, he knew life would get better. It did when he got another job two years later. That was when he'd met Maria, the only girl he'd ever kissed after Hazel (his daughter and granddaughters didn't count).

Sammy'd had the dream life: Manage to make his own mechanic shop business, had a wife, kids, grandkids. The American dream.

Except...

...it was a nightmare sometimes.

Sammy regretted that day. The day he sold the stupid gem. He wished he could turn time back and never sell the diamond. Maybe he would have found a job anyway? Maybe Hazel had returned after he left. If he'd stayed, would they have gotten together? Would he have had the same kids with her? The same grandkids? The same...

He passed the nursery, which was pretty much a large closet with a crib. Little Leo was snuggled inside his blue blanket in the crib, sleeping soundly. He hiccupped in his sleep once, then turned his head.

Sammy smiled. Leo...That little boy was the reason Sammy's life wasn't all filled with regret. Sammy knew he'd meet Hazel one day, and hopefully make things right.

Sammy shuffled inside the nursery and picked up Leo. The boy opened his big brown eyes and sleepily smiled.

"Hello, Leo," Sammy whispered. "Sorry to wake you. I just wanted to see you one last time."

A glitter caught Sammy's eye. He looked up and examined the mobile attached to Leo's crib. Hanging down were various things: a dog, a dragon, Saturn, a rocketship, a wrench (not even joking, Anza had made this for Leo, saying he needed to like all sorts of things). There was a little gem, a prism, hanging next to the dragon. It was small, about the size of Hazel's jewel. Obviously, they weren't the same, since this one was clearly fake. But they both sparkled like a rainbow.

Leo noticed the sparkly rainbow and waved his pudgy arms around, gurgling happily.

Sammy took the gem from the mobile (carefully) and waved it in front of Leo. "You like this?"

Leo continued to wave his arms, trying to grab the prism.

Sammy smiled. "You and I have similar tastes, _mijo_. We both like the gems we got from the women we loved. Only difference is, you get to keep yours."

Sammy placed his great-grandson back into the crib and gently put the gem back. He decided to do it here, and sat down in the rickety chair next to the crib. Screw comfort. You didn't need to lie down all the time to rest.

Leo gurgled a little before falling asleep again. Sammy smiled one last time. "Take care of her, Leo. Make sure she does what she's meant to do..."

The next morning, Esperanza Valdez went into her son's nursery to find her grandfather slouched in the chair next to the crib. She shook his shoulders, telling him it was time for breakfast, but at that moment, his spirit was already in Elysium.

* * *

**_A/N: Sadness again, but I promise things will lighten up soon!_**

**_Next one is going to be about the Dodgers._**

**_If you don't know who they are, go and read my One-Shot "Old and New Friends"._**


	28. Rescue

_**I couldn't just leave you guys hanging on that 800-word sad chapter. So, I decided to give y'all something fun earlier than usual.**_

_**To all who are confused about who this Jack person is, there's a little background in my story, Old and New Friends!**_

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

**28: Rescue**

_Some Families Aren't Even Related_

A ten-year-old Leo Valdez shivered inside an alley. It was winter, and even Texas was feeling the cold weather. He'd run off from his third home just two days ago. The Sanchez foster home was nice, but there were too many kids, too many mouths to feed, and too little attention for all. Leo supposed Jessie, the youngest girl and his favorite foster sister, was nice. If it had been just her and the parents, maybe he would have stayed longer.

Leo pulled out the strip of pictures of him and Jessie at the mall together. He smiled sadly and put them back in his shoe, where he put two other pictures. One was the only one he had of his mother, the other was of his second foster home with the Marlowe family. He'd only spent three days with his first foster family—also named Sanchez—so he had no photos to prove he'd bonded with them.

He sneezed and pulled the flimsy blanket around his shoulders. A chill wind pierced his chest. He hoped he wouldn't catch a cold. He'd not gotten sick since he was little, but sometimes the unexpected happened.

Oh, good; it was raining now. As if he needed more reasons to get sick.

Leo shivered in the rain, desperately keeping down the blasted fire inside of him. It wanted to get out, to warm him on the outside. He forced it down, keeping only his internal temperature up.

He slumped further against the wall, squishing himself between a couple trash bags. He didn't want to sleep, but the cold was inviting, even with his upped temperature. He closed his eyes and slept.

* * *

Jack Dawkins ran from the cops. They'd caught him tagging the wall of a convenience store and were trying to chase him. Not that they were succeeding. Jack was a fast runner and very cunning.

He fled into a dark alley, using the cold rain to mask his escape. He ducked behind a dumpster. As the cops kept running down the wrong way, he held back a laugh. Jack shifted position to make himself more comfortable.

"Ow."

Jack looked down and gasped. A little boy groaned and rubbed his head. He looked up at the teenager with an annoyed expression. "Why'd you kick me?" he moaned. He had a thick Mexican accent.

Jack's eyes widened. What was this kid doing here? "Sorry."

The boy shifted and curled into a tight ball. Jack could see him shivering.

"You don't have a home?" A stupid question, but Jack felt obligated to ask.

The boy didn't respond right away. It took him a minute. "I don't need one."

_So young_, Jack thought. _It's not right_. Jack sat down next to the kid. "Most kids think that," he said. "I'm sure your parents are worried about you."

The kid gave him a hard stare. "My mom's gone," he growled. "Never knew my dad."

He sneezed, then sniffled. Jack put his hand on the kid's forehead. The kid tried to turn away, but one touch was all Jack needed.

"You've got a fever," he told the kid.

"Nah, I've just got a naturally high temperature." The kid coughed a couple times.

Jack shook his head. "No, you got a cold. You shouldn't be out here in this weather."

"Neither should you."

"Yeah, but I'm old enough to make stupid decisions. From the size of you, I'd say you need a family to take care of you until you really _are_ old enough."

The kid stuck his tongue out. "This ain't my first time, dummy. Go away and preach to someone who cares."

Jack stood and grabbed the kid. He hurled him over his strong shoulders and started walking, confident the cops were far enough away. The kid yowled and struggled in protest.

"Let me go," he whined. "I don't need anybody!" He coughed again. "Don't take me to the police!"

"I'm not." Jack ignored the kid's constant pounding against his back. He felt unnaturally warm, especially in this cold weather. He needed a dry place to stay.

Jack brought him to an abandoned gas station. He walked through the empty aisles and went straight to the back room, finally stepping down into the large basement. The kid had stopped complaining when Jack said police weren't going to be involved, but his coughs had gotten worse. He _definitely_ had a cold, or perhaps the flu.

Jack flicked on the light. The basement heralded a few sleeping bags and tents, as well as a ping pong table, broken arcade games, cracked patio table, and moldy chairs. On those chairs surrounding the patio table sat three teens playing cards—two girls, Rita and Francis, and one guy, Eddy.

Rita was Jack's girlfriend. She was African American with red-brown hair that fell past her shoulders beautifully and expressive eyes framed by just enough make-up. Francis was a beauty queen kinda girl, but she was tough in a scrap, and great at distractions. Eddy…well, his height and strength certainly made up for his lack of brain-power. The poor guy wasn't the brightest crayon in the box, but he was loyal to his crew, which was led by Jack himself.

All had the mark of the Dodgers on them—a tattoo brand in the shape of a spade with a sun in the middle. Didn't mean much; it was just a cool design.

The kid's coughing drew everyone's attention. Rita hopped up from her chair and was first to arrive at Jack's side. "'the Hell's up with him?" she asked. "He sick?"

"No," the kid sniffled.

"Yes," Jack growled at the same moment. "He's homeless and needs a warm place to stay."

"I'm warm enough."

Rita smacked his leg. The kid yelped and kicked blindly, making contact with nothing. "Shut up, kid," Rita scolded. "You look sick, sound sick, and act sick. So, I'mma take care of you 'til you get better." She looked at Jack. "Set him in that corner and I'll get that first aid kit."

Jack obeyed. The kid protested weakly, but he sat still as Rita came up again. Over the course of a few years, Rita had gathered—and stolen—some basic medicines and ointments. She knew how to heal, and a cold was nothing to her.

She placed a thermometer under the kid's tongue, which read out to be 120. She and Jack both blinked in alarm. The highest a temperature should go before death should be 111 at the most! This kid was still able to kick and didn't seem to be dying any time soon.

Francis brought a small bucket of clean water and a rag. Eddy helped dry the kid off before a cold rag was placed on the kid's forehead. The kid kept complaining, "I can do it myself. Don't touch me." But a second smack from Rita made him obedient and he let the teens take care of him. He hesitantly took some pills for his cough, and drank a bottle of water that had been offered to him.

When Rita got him situated in a sleeping bag with a blanket and pillow, the kid yawned and closed his eyes. Jack told everyone else to go to sleep as well, seeing as they'd all probably had a long day.

* * *

The next day, Jack woke up to a weird noise. He lifted his head out of his tiny tent and saw the kid he'd taken in halfway inside one of the arcade games against the wall.

"Hey!" Jack wearily stumbled out of the tent and grabbed the kid, dragging him out into the open. "You shouldn't be up! You're sick!"

"I am not," the kid growled, running a hand through his grease-slicked curly hair. "I'm better now, see?"

Jack did see that he was not coughing or sneezing. He felt the kid's forehead, which was still burning hot. The kid shrugged. "Check if you want. I've always had a 110 temperature. I told you, it's naturally high."

Jack checked anyway. The thermometer read 110, just like the kid predicted. "You sure?"

He nodded. "Duh. I'm just naturally hot." He grinned impishly. "By the way, my name's Leo."

Jack nodded. "Jack."

"Who were those other guys?"

"The Dodgers."

"They your gang?"

"Duh."

"Well, just so you know, I ain't interested in joining a gang."

"We like to think of ourselves as more of a family," Jack defended. "It's not like we go around shooting people left and right. Our specialty's stealing to survive, run to live."

Leo cocked an eyebrow. "Running, huh?"

"Always keep moving," Jack said. "That's our motto. This location's just the latest place to sleep. We got a few hiding spots scattered through the city."

Leo stuck his hands in his pockets and looked sheepish. "Well…that's not so bad. I guess…"

Jack ruffled the boy's hair. "How old are you, Leo?"

"Ten."

"Tell you what—how about you stay with us for a while? No brand. No forcing you to stay. You feel the need to get out, then get out. We've had a few members come and go like that. They're like our extended family. The only rule for you is that you can't smoke or drink until you're a proper teenager—like 15, not 13. Deal?"

Leo shrugged. "Beats the heck outta bunking down in a dumpster, I suppose. I get to do what I like?"

"What do you like?"

Leo gestured to the arcade game. "Lemme show you."

He bumped his hip against the old machine, and _Pac-Man_ sprang to life. Instead of _INSERT COIN_, the screen flashed _INSERT NUTHIN'! I'M FREE, BABY!_

Jack's jaw dropped. "That was broken."

Leo grinned. "Not 'nymore. Call it a gift." His accent grew thicker the more excited he got. "I like messin' with stuff like this. Rigged a 'stang once with my bare hands."

Jack whistled. "Impressive. We could use dirty hands like yours. You up for some trouble?"

"My aunt always said I was born trouble, so why not?"

* * *

Years later, Leo would reminisce over the first meeting between Jack and himself. At first, Leo had thought the whole thing a kidnapping, or a hostage situation. Only when he looked back did he realize it had been a rescue. Jack had rescued Leo from a terrible night shivering in the rain, suffering from what would have been pneumonia.

That rescue had led to some of the happiest times in Leo's life. The Dodgers were the closest thing he'd had to a real family before his time in Camp Half-Blood. They cared for him.

Though there had been some close calls with the gang, and it had put some new stuff on Leo's ever-growing criminal record, Leo would always admit that he would never trade any of those moments for anything.

* * *

**_A/N: Yay! Gang Leo! And the gang (whose ending still wasn't too happy in retrospect) isn't that bad~! Disney-fy everything!_**


	29. Broken

_**I apologize for this nightmare. This one shot is a little hard on Leo fans. It was hard to write, but it had to be done.**_

_**When you think of the word broken, who is the first person to come to mind? For me, it's Leo.**_

_**For most people, a broken Leo is an angst-driven cutter or something like that. For me, a broken Leo means this. As much as I love angsty Leo, I had to try this idea out.**_

_**Enjoy.**_

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

**29: Broken**

_Just another Failed Hephaestus-Made Machine_

Leo couldn't move.

The last he remembered was sleeping in the engine room the night Nico, Reyna, and Hedge had left. He'd passed out from exhaustion, not even trying to bother with fixing a miniscule problem with the engine. He'd hit the deck and soon fell asleep.

But now…He was slumped against the wall, looking at the doorway to the engine room. His eyes didn't move. His arms and legs were still. He was pretty sure he wasn't even breathing.

_What happened to me?_ Leo thought desperately. _Someone…anyone…help me!_

A shadow appeared in the doorway. _Yes! Please, see me! Help me! Get me to the sick bay!_

Then Leo's blood froze. The shadow stepped forward. Leo recognized Nemesis, mostly because he doubted his Aunt Rosa would have teleported onto his warship in the middle of the night.

"Hello, Leo Valdez," Nemesis said coolly. She stepped right in front of him. Since Leo couldn't move, only her legs were visible. "Oh, sorry," she said. "I forgot."

She bent down and smiled at him. "See me now? I guess you can't answer, can you? That's too bad." She took a fortune cookie out of her pocket and ate it—fortune and all. "I bet you're wondering what's become of you, hmm? Don't worry; you're not dead."

She took out a hand mirror and held it in front of Leo's eyes. If they could, Leo figured his eyes would pop out of his head.

A bronze, humanoid automaton was slumped against the wall in the mirror. The curly hair was a darker bronze, but part of the head was lifted, revealing severed wires that sometimes sparked. His chest was torn through, with broken gears and torn parts messed up inside. A bronze heart was enclosed in a tiny birdcage, which hung precariously out of his body, only attached by one fraying wire. His limbs were disconnected—one of his legs was lying a few inches away.

_What…What is this?_

The goddess of revenge patted him on the head. He didn't feel it, but he heard the _clink_ of hand on metal. "Poor little Leo Valdez. So broken. So alone. No one to fix him. No one to keep him company. As useless as a lame leg. Perhaps I should do you a favor and send you to one of your father's junkyards.

The scene around him flickered. They were no longer in the engine room of the _Argo II_. Now Leo was leaning against a pile of junk. Other mountains of broken and obsolete trash encircled him and his pile. He was in one of Hephaestus's junkyards!

_No. I'm not useless! I…I'm needed!_

"Are you?" the goddess said, reading his mind. "As I see it, the only thing you're good for is a repair job. You even have the nickname _Repair Boy_. But, even that job you muck up; why, you can't even repair yourself.

"All you've done is mess up, Leo Valdez. You killed your mother, allowed your best friend to be destroyed, started a war between the Greeks and Romans, caused tension between most of the Seven by just being in the room—you even caused the heartbreak of a Titaness. The list is endless. Your mind can never be fixed, and neither can your body. You, my friend, are a lost cause."

She waved her hand. More junk appeared and surrounded Leo, burying his legs and stomach. The broken gears inside of him flowed out and joined the pile. Leo felt his mind slipping as some of his brain wires got tangled in the trashed bronze behind him. His memory began to fail. It took a lot of concentration to remember he was human.

_Please. I…I…_

"Don't bother, Leo," Nemesis muttered. "I was wrong to think you were worthy. I challenged you in Rome to defeat the Giants and Gaea. You've done little. Just a failure with big dreams that will never come true."

_No…_

A screw came out of his head and his jaw unhinged. His mouth was now wide open, allowing new junk to flow in. Breathing might have been an issue, but Leo couldn't remember that breathing was required. He was a robot…wasn't he? Robots didn't need air. But…why did he think _he_ did?

"Face it. You belong here, in the junkyard, with all the other failures. You're just another broken machine of your father's."

_I…I…am not…?_

"Yes you are."

Leo's left eye went dark, popped out, and hung loosely near his shoulder. A spring came out of his neck. The junk pile crawled inside of him. He couldn't remember having legs anymore. His childhood was gone. Everything that proved he was a human was erased—no, it had been saved onto a floppy disk. Nemesis held the disk in her hand now.

She examined it. "Too bad. You had such promise for such a great revenge. Getting revenge on Gaea for making you kill your mother…that would have been amazing."

She patted Leo on the head again. Leo was now deactivating. His programming required him to do so. Why hadn't he deactivated sooner? Why was he activated now? He was broken. Useless. Unable to move. Activation was pointless.

"Good-bye, Leo Valdez," the human-shaped immortal said sweetly. "Enjoy your purgatory. Maybe one day you'll serve a purpose…melted down into something new."

The pile of scrap and junk that was once Leo Valdez beeped and shut down. A mechanical voice rang out: _Lee-oh…Ahb-so-lee-t…Lee-oh…brrrr-oooo-ken—_

* * *

Leo woke up in a cold sweat, gasping for air. Air. He was breathing. He was sweating!

Leo patted himself, reveling in the movement. He was skin and bones, not bronze and gears. His legs and arms were intact. His chest was closed, with a living heart inside beating quickly. Both of his eyes were working. His memory was clear.

He was human. It had only been a nightmare…

"No," he growled to himself. "It was a warning."

Nemesis made it clear. She wanted Leo to get revenge, and get it good, otherwise he would be killed—or turned into a broken automaton and thrown into a junkyard. Fine. He'd get that revenge. No skin off his bones. He'd been wanting it for a long time, but Nemesis must not have liked how slow he was at getting it.

He got up out of the engine room and went to a hole in the wall, where he was fixing Festus within the hull.

"I'll be quicker, then," he muttered. "I have to do this. This is going to help me get my revenge!"

He worked long into the night and morning. Nemesis watched him from afar and nodded approvingly.

"That's my price, Leo Valdez," she whispered. "Your revenge on Gaea must be executed. _You_ must be the one to do it…even if it costs you your life."

* * *

**_A/N: :) Sometimes I hate myself. And sometimes I'm happy my mind thinks up such creative things._**

**_Don't worry. Chapter 31 (two chaps from now) will have a beautiful Leo moment to distract you from what just happened. You'll have to wait til after Walls, though._**


	30. Walls

_**WARNING: If you are not a fan of gay relationships, then don't read.**_

_**Okay, so it barely qualifies under the Walls category, but I did it anyway.**_

**_I am uber excited about gay marriage being legalized by the Supreme Court yesterday! So, in honor of such an occasion, I decided to make the next one-shot all about SOLANGELO! Two things happen now: Jonah gets a sibling, and the Solace-di Angelo couple take a big step._**

**_Enjoy! _**

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

**30: Walls**

_And They Come Tumbling Down_

Jonah Calavera was reading a newspaper, glancing through the pages with a bored expression. He and his foster parents, Will Solace and Nico di Angelo, were currently visiting an orphanage in New York City. Will and Nico had applied to adopt a little baby girl who had been dropped off without a name. She was only a month old, at least.

This little girl was a demigod. And not just any demigod—she was a daughter of Attis, god of rebirth. Apollo, the current Camp Director, told Will and Nico of her whereabouts and that she would not survive past two if she stayed in the orphanage.

Jonah, being thirteen, was here for moral support. And he was proof that Will and Nico were competent parents. It was hard for single-sex couples to adopt around this area, so ones with a successful family were very much appreciated. Jonah didn't really want a sister, but who was he to argue the will of a god?

He flipped another page and stopped at the headline. His eyes widened in surprise and he ran up to Will and Nico. Will was cooing at the little baby, while Nico stood off to the side.

Jonah poked Nico in the arm and handed him the paper. "Look at page four," he ordered.

Nico took the paper and read the headline out loud: "_Gay Marriage Legal Nationwide_"

Will's head snapped up. "It is? How?"

Nico blinked in surprise. "The Supreme Court just ruled it yesterday. Every state now legalizes gay marriage. Well, Louisiana is fighting it, but other than that, it's legal everywhere."

Will smiled. "Oh gods, that's awesome! We can actually get married, Nico!"

"You do realize it was legal in New York before, right?"

Will shrugged. "But now we could go to other states and do it! It's so great! We're recognized!"

Nico smiled now. "Yes, we are. We should tell the others in New Athens and at camp about this."

"They'll be thrilled! We should still celebrate! Let's have a party in camp!"

Nico grimaced. "Will, tone it down. You know I'm not much of a party guy. Jonah isn't, either."

Will rolled his eyes. "You two and your Hades genes." He cooed at the little girl in his arms. They just don't understand how exciting this is, do they? Do they?"

The little girl gurgled in happiness.

"I'm still gonna go around telling everyone this affects," Will said. "Mitchell and Ryan, Lisa and Mary, Tulio and Miguel, Leo…"

"Leo?" Nico inquired. "As in, Leo Valdez?"

"Uh, yeah." Will snorted as if it was obvious. "He's totally bi."

If Jonah had been drinking something, he would have spit it out. Nico had the same expression. "He is _not_ bisexual," Nico argued. "How could you even say that?"

Will grinned. "It's obvious, Nico. The way he acts when certain guys walk into a room he's in…like you when you try to be discreet."

Nico's face erupted into a blush. "Shut up!"

"Oh, and Tulio kinda dropped it in a conversation with Miguel when they were in the infirmary after a Capture the Flag game. I just _happened_ to be there and _happened_ to be listening."

Jonah snorted. "Wow. That's surprising. No wonder Tulio's gay. He inherited it."

Nico ruffled Jonah's stringy hair. "Watch out, you might _inherit_ it from us."

"Nah, I'm pretty sure girls are my thing. But, I appreciate your concern." Jonah stuck his tongue out.

Will held out the little girl to Nico. "Your turn to hold her. I need to Iris Message some people and get them excited."

Nico hesitantly took her. "We're not throwing a stupid party."

Will ran through the door shouting, "Doesn't mean we can't celebrate!"

Jonah examined the baby. She was pale, with big olive green eyes and thin black hair. He supposed she was cute, for a baby.

Then, he noticed something in her hand. "What's that?"

Nico cocked an eyebrow and pulled the thing out of her tiny hand. "Is this…a ring?"

Will stuck his head in the door. "I was gonna do it eventually. Since Jonah told us the news that it's legal everywhere now…I figured _now_ would be the right time." He shuffled over, took the ring, and hopped down on one knee. "Nico di Angelo, we've been together since we were fourteen. We've gone through a lot as a couple, had our ups and downs, been through many good and bad times. We've raised a kid together. I hope you agree with me when I say we're ready to tie the knot. Nico, will you marry me?"

The baby in Nico's arms squealed happily and waved her pudgy arms around. Jonah smiled at Nico, who was shocked. He took the baby from his foster parent.

Nico blinked, a smile slowly spreading on his normally creepy face. "When you put it that way…" He bent down and kissed Will. Jonah rolled his eyes and looked away. Foster or not, no child should see their parents kiss, no matter what gender they were. It was just gross!

Claps were heard around the room, and Jonah realized the orphanage staff had seen the proposal and were cheering them on. Jonah grinned. What a great week for the Solace-di Angelo household. Walls had come down all over the place; the marriage wall had come down thanks to the Supreme Court, the baby wall was down now, thanks to Jonah's soon-to-be sister, and now the last wall had come down for Nico—PDA, since he was always so embarrassed to even hold Will's hand. Now he was kissing his fiancé without a care in the world.

When Nico and Will broke from their kiss, Nico said, "On one condition: We name this little girl Bianca, after my sister."

Will smiled. "It's like we know each other, 'cause I was gonna suggest that very name. I'm guessing you want her to have your last name?"

Nico shook his head. "When we finally marry, we'll just keep our names. But…Bianca should have your name."

"You're serious?"

"Am I ever not?"

Jonah looked at his new sister fondly. "Bianca Solace," he whispered. "Perfect for this family."

Bianca giggled cheerily, watching her new fathers kiss again.

* * *

**_A/N: Hooray! Solangelo proposal in honor of yesterday's ruling! And a new addition: Bianca Solace, daughter of Attis (god of rebirth). I made her the god of rebirth's daughter on purpose. Symbolism! No, she isn't Bianca's reborn soul, since that happened when Nico was a teen. I thought it'd be a nice gift for Nico to have a daughter named Bianca :3_**

**_Don't forget to tell me how you liked it, and please: if you aren't a fan of the ruling or gay marriage/couples in general, don't complain to me or put a review of your hate on my story._**


	31. Beautiful

_**The Leo feels are back today, guys! But instead of sad feels...**_

**_...you're about to feel happy Leo feels!_**

**_You guys are going to love it, I promise. And, as it says below, if you are confused about why Leo is single with no Calypso in sight, just catch up on Papi Version One._**

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

**31: Beautiful**

_In the Eyes of a New Father_

_-Please see _Papi_ version one for backstory if you are confused.-_

Leo heard the gong that signaled he had a customer and slid out from under the car he was fixing. He stood up, cracked his neck, and exited his shop through the swinging door that led into his waiting room.

A hydra grinned at him. It wasn't a bad hydra. He was a vegetarian named Steve. He liked Leo's tofu burgers and tacos and usually came by for a free lunch.

"Steve," Leo greeted. "Break a nail again?"

The hydra shook his head. "Nah. I just was passing by and noticed you had mail. Were you expecting some life-changing news?"

"Pardon?" Leo took the letter Steve was holding. It was from the hospital downtown. Leo narrowed his eyes. "I never went to the hospital recently. Actually, I don't go at all. I don't even have medical insurance…how did they get my address?"

Steve shrugged. "Maybe it's a spam mail type of thing?"

Leo tore open the envelope. "I don't think the hospital does that. Insurance and credit card companies, maybe, but not the hospital itself…"

He opened the letter and read:

_Dear Mr. Leo Valdez,_

_We hope you receive this letter as soon as possible, for here at the St. Jude's Hospital we have something that belongs to you. Someone came by yesterday and dropped off something of yours. We performed tests and found you are truly the person responsible._

_Please, as soon as you can, drop by the St. Jude's Hospital at the below address and ask for Doctor Ollopa. This is not a jest. Please come and pick your 'package' up._

Below was the address and the Doctor's information. Leo squinted at the paper. "That's it? Not even gonna tell me what it is? Is it an organ? A limb? A blood test?"

Steve scratched his head. "Weird kind of letter, if you ask me…"

Leo slumped his shoulders. "I mean, I'll go. If it's some sort of scam or a trap I can always leave. Worst they do is try to convince me to give them money."

"Or try to eat you," Steve put in. "Y'know, if it's a monster that doesn't like the vegetarian diet."

"Right."

* * *

An hour later, after cleaning up some, letting Steve handle the front desk, and walking to the hospital—hey, he wasn't rich enough for gas just yet; a walk never hurt anybody—Leo strode into the St. Jude's Hospital with his nerves shooting through the roof. He kept an eye on any suspicious-looking people—doctors especially. His tool belt was still on his waist, which he checked every few seconds.

He walked up to the front desk. "Hi," he said to the receptionist. "My name is Leo Valdez. I got this letter saying I needed to pick up something?"

She looked at the letter, typed something into the computer, and smiled. "Ah, Mr. Valdez. You'll need to go see Dr. Ollopa. He's in the maternity ward. It's down the hall, up the stairs, and on the right."

Leo blinked at her. "Maternity ward?"

"That's right."

"Why would I need to go there?"

She winked. "Oh, you. Must be the nerves."

He walked away, confused. As he walked down the hall, he heard her shout, "Congratulations, Mr. Father!"

Leo shook his head. _No way,_ he thought. _Must have the wrong Valdez. There's gotta be another Leo Valdez running around in Houston, right? It's gotta be a mistake…._

He found himself in the maternity ward and looked around for this Dr. Ollopa. Something about that name didn't seem right to Leo. It wasn't a bad feeling, but he thought he knew who this guy was…

Then he found the doctor and knew instantly who it was.

A tall, youthful man with a sun tan, blonde hair, and perfect teeth, dressed in a Hawaiian shirt, jeans, flip-flops (was today Casual Friday?) and a white overcoat with a stethoscope around his neck sauntered over to Leo. Leo tried to act cool, seeing as he was about to talk to a god.

"Leo Valdez," Dr. Ollopa—or rather, Apollo—cried happily. "My, my, how you've grown! How's the new life treating you? You know, the one my son gave you?"

Leo paused, not understanding. Then he remembered the physician's cure, made by Asclepius, which brought Leo back to life after the Giant War. "Ah. It's, uh, going well. Nearly went bankrupt a while back, but I'm good now."

Apollo grinned, blinding Leo with his teeth. "Good to hear. By the way, I'm _still_ trying to get the hang of that darn Valdezinator. I swear, I almost had it once, but then I lost my concentration. You need to give me another demonstration."

"Later, maybe," Leo promised. "So, you called me down here to talk to me about the Valdezinator again? Could'a just made an appointment down at my shop."

Apollo waved his hand. "No, no. That's not why you're here." He pulled Leo into a room filled with cradles, which were filled with sleeping babies. "You're here because of this."

Leo cocked an eyebrow. "Um, I appreciate the gesture, but I'm not looking to adopt. I just got financially stable again."

The god laughed. "Funny. I never said you were adopting."

He reached into a nearby cradle and pulled out a baby in a blue blanket. He handed the baby to Leo. "This is yours."

"I highly doubt that," Leo growled. "I haven't slept with anyone! I don't even have a girlfriend! And I'm pretty sure that drunken night with Steve didn't lead to things…things that you don't do with girls…"

Apollo said nothing. He merely gestured to the baby now in Leo's arms.

Leo looked at the child. It was a little Mexican boy, with a mop of curly black hair, a turned-up nose, and little pointed ears. He yawned, revealing a gummy mouth. When the baby opened his eyes, Leo was greeted with light brown—no, almond-colored—eyes. His gaze locked onto Leo and he giggled happily.

Leo's heart skipped a beat. This child looked exactly like him, sans the eyes. "He—he's mine? Really?"

Apollo nodded. "His name is Tulio Charles Valdez. Delivered him myself."

"Who is the mother?" Leo asked. He thought back to the foggy dream-like state he'd been in for five years. There had been a girl with him, he remembered. But he couldn't remember who she was. He tried now, but the fog returned and he nearly collapsed.

Apollo held him steady. "Easy, big daddy. Hephaestus told me you couldn't remember her and that I wasn't allowed to help. You'll remember someday. But for now, you've got something to help you live without her."

Leo looked down at Tulio, the little reflection of Leo Valdez. "I…I don't know if I'm ready for such responsibility…"

"Ah, almost forgot!" Apollo led Leo over to another cradle and took Tulio in his arms. He gestured with his chin to the new cradle. "Congrats."

Leo looked down and saw a sleeping Latina wrapped in a pink blanket. She had the same mop of curly hair and impish features that Tulio and Leo had.

"I was told that you were to name her," Apollo said softly. "And by the way, she was the elder." He poked Tulio's tummy. "Something you and I have in common, eh?" he asked the baby.

Tulio merely smiled and tried to grab Apollo's hair.

Leo reached in and picked up the baby girl, gently cradling her in his arms. His heart was in his throat now, and his eyes overflowed with tears.

A daughter. Leo Valdez had a daughter!

Leo sat down—somehow he'd stumbled over to a chair—and kissed the baby's forehead. Having a son was one thing. Having a daughter was another. It changed his whole perspective on having kids. "I know exactly what to call her…"

"And what would that be?"

"I've thought about it my whole life," he said, his voice trembling. "I promised myself if I ever had a daughter…I would name her Esperanza. Esperanza Grace Valdez."

The girl snoozed on, a little smile on her face.

Apollo smiled. "Esperanza and Tulio Valdez," he said quietly. "Congratulations, Leo. Your father is very proud of you. He's sorry he couldn't make it."

"It's fine. I understand."

Truly, he did. Hephaestus couldn't play favorites, just like every other god. He _preferred_ Leo to the rest of his living offspring, but he couldn't always be there for him every step of the way. Not in the way Leo was going to do for his children.

_His_ children.

It took a moment for that to sink in. Leo was now a single parent, raising twins. He was no longer important. His individual life was over. Leo's life now revolved around his children's lives. His very existence revolved around keeping them safe, teaching them, making them happy. He was not Leo Valdez, the son of Hephaestus who saved the world. Not anymore.

He was now Mr. Valdez, the father of Esperanza and Tulio Valdez, who would one day save the world in their own ways.

Leo felt tears run down his cheeks. One splashed upon Esperanza's face. She opened her eyes—Leo's shade of brown. She smiled at him, and it was the most beautiful thing in the world.

Apollo congratulated him once more and helped him place the twins in a stroller. He gave Leo a refillable bag of diapers, conceding Leo would be tight on money, and also handed him a bag of baby things that were a gift from the mother: a few plushies, some binkies, outfits, baby blankies, and a note.

_Dear Leo,_

_I love you. I know you can't remember me, but just know I did it to protect you. We'll be together again, I promise. Until then, I give you our children. I've lived alone for years, I can handle the solitude. Take care of them, my hero. You told me once you thought you would make a terrible father. I disagree. Your family experiences in the past will help you be the best father. You know what children need, what they crave: A loving family._

_We had decided long ago that our son would be named Tulio. That is the boy's name—Tulio Charles Valdez. I left our baby girl's name up to you._

_Tulio likes the dragon toy, by the way. And his is the orange blanket. Hers is the blue, and she loves the fish toy. Their respective items are color coordinated that way. Blue and white for her, orange and red for him._

_I know you'll be a wonderful father to our children, Leo. I'm sorry you must do this alone. I hope to see you again before they get too big for you to handle._

_I love you. Always._

That was it. There was no name. No address. Just the "I love you. Always." Leo's eyes welled with tears. He placed the note in his tool belt and started wheeling the twins out of the maternity ward. Apollo watched on with a smile before disappearing.

The receptionist called out to him, congratulating him. People in the waiting room clapped and cheered for him, but they were far away to him. Leo could only hear the soft giggles of his twins.

On the way home, Leo kept looking at his babies. They smiled up at him. He smiled back.

Leo's gaze always stayed on Esperanza the longest. It didn't matter that he was a single father. He would do his best. That was all they would ask of him.

Esperanza giggled. Leo let the tears fall from his eyes. She was the most beautiful thing in the world to him. To Hades with Aphrodite. To Tartarus to all the super models and imperfect cheerleader-type women out there that thought they were pretty.

Esperanza was beautiful to Leo. She would be even more beautiful in the years to come. She was perfect. Gorgeous. Amazing.

Beautiful.

* * *

**_A/N: Bad news is, that was my last travel prewritten chapter. But still, half of the ones I posted this month weren't prewritten, so you can see how easily each one shot gets inspiration :)_**

**_More news, I'm going camping next week, so that means no internet, obviously. Don't worry, I always have my travel comp to write with (and a notebook anyway)_**


	32. Festive

_**The prompt Tonight would have been next, but since Festive was so close, I decided to switch them around in honor of the occasion.**_

_**It's Independence Day, everybody! Yay, America! How am I celebrating? I'm plane hopping for half the day to get back home for a two-week vacation in Missouri~! Yay!**_

_**This one is short, but I just wrote it on the plane ride from Hawaii to my connecting airport. Slept for four hours, spent the rest of it writing and listening to Muppet Treasure Island. Great day so far~!**_

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

**32: Festive**

_Happy Fourth of July…Canada_

Augustus Zhang was kinda confused.

The only colors he could see were red, white, and blue. Sparklers were everywhere. Signs scribbled with _Happy Fourth of July_ were strewn about. Almost everyone was wearing some sort of clothing with stars and stripes in the design.

"Daddy, what's going on?"

His father, Frank Zhang, looked down at the three-year-old with sympathetic eyes. "It's Independence Day."

"What's…Indipanda day?"

Frank snorted. "Independence Day is the day Americans celebrate their freedom as Americans. It's pretty important to them."

"We aren't American?"

Frank tossed his head from side to side, as if weighing the question. "Well…technically _you_ are. I'm Canadian."

"What's that?" Gus scrunched up his face, confused even more now that his father was using weird big words.

Frank smiled and bent down to get on Gus's level. "It means I'm not originally from this country. You remember that map Mommy showed you to tell you where she came from?"

Gus nodded.

"Well…there was a giant place above America—the country we're in now. That giant place is a country called Canada, which is where I'm from. Independence Day isn't celebrated by Canadians because it's a holiday specifically for America."

"That's not fair. America should share!"

Frank laughed. "They share enough, trust me. It's fine that they have a holiday like this. They celebrate the freedoms they get on a daily basis, get to have a day off to spend with families, hang out with friends and watch fireworks go off after dark. From what I've seen, it's a fun day."

Gus pouted. "Then how come we can't celebrate it?"

"Um…we do. You can. Your mom just wanted me to get some stuff from the store so we can bring it to Mr. Valdez's barbeque tonight."

"But…"

"Gus, it's okay. _You're_ American. We're _in_ America on the Fourth of July. There won't be any officials checking to see if you are American or otherwise."

The whole time they were at the store, Gus felt uneasy. For some reason, he didn't like this holiday if not everyone in his family could celebrate it. He didn't understand why his Dad wasn't upset about this.

Later that day, Gus found himself pouting alone at a little table in the Valdez family backyard. The older kids were running around with sparklers in their hands, trying to touch each other with them and having swordfights. Aria was coloring at his table, making all of her pictures patriotic.

Mr. Jackson, his face painted red, white, and blue, walked over and sat in the grass next to Gus. "Hey, big guy," the man said. "What's got you all down?"

Gus sighed. "Daddy."

"Did he ground you, or something?"

"Nu-uh. He can't have fun cause he's Ca…Canididan."

Percy smiled. "Canadian? Well…I mean, it's true that he's Canadian, but that doesn't mean he can't have fun with the rest of us. Just because it's America's holiday, doesn't mean all non-Americans aren't allowed to enjoy it."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Look, your dad is enjoying the day just fine."

Gus looked and saw his father laughing with Piper and Jason over something funny. Unlike the other adults, Frank chose to wear a red and white Canada shirt. It was a running joke; Leo had dared him to wear something similar one year, which Frank had agreed to do on the condition Leo wear a Mexico shirt. Leo had shown up to a fireworks celebration in a Mexican flag shirt and a giant sombrero. Frank just had the maple leaf shirt. Now, every year the two of them wore Canada and Mexico shirts on the Fourth of July, just because it was fun to celebrate their heritage on a weird day.

Leo, his face painted similarly to Percy's, whistled as he flipped burgers and hot dogs. He was wearing the large sombrero.

"Gus," Percy said, turning slightly serious. "Today is supposed to be fun for everyone. Anyone in the US is free to have fun today. That's the point. I know you're worried about your dad, but he doesn't mind. It's not like we beat up non-Americans today…well, not unless it's in good fun."

The son of Poseidon got up. He ruffled Gus's hair before going to Frank and catching up on the joke.

Leo announced that dinner was ready and everyone sat down for their meal. Gus turned to Sammy at the kids table. "Sammy," he began. "Is it okay for us to have fun today even though Dad's not from America?"

Sammy shrugged. "I've never heard him complain. He's fine with it. He's having fun." He patted his brother on the back. "Don't worry, bro. I know you mean well, but Dad has just as much fun today as any other holiday!"

For some reason, hearing Sammy say that finally made Gus understand it wasn't that big of a deal. Gus smiled and began having fun like the rest of the kids.

When Leo began shooting off his homemade fireworks, Frank put Gus on his lap while they all sat in the grass.

"Happy Independence Day, Gus," Frank yelled over the booms.

During the finale, Gus saw fireworks in the shapes of the Canada and Mexico flags above and below the American flag respectively. Gus clapped for those special fireworks, glad everyone was getting the chance to have fun today.

* * *

**_A/N: Happy Fourth of July, Americans! And happy fourth, anyway, to all others!_**

**_And, even though Leo is fully American, he's still Mexican American. His family roots are from Mexico, so I decided Frank should dare him to be Mexican on America's big day. Seems like something Leo would do, anyway :3_**


	33. Tonight

_**Hey, I'm alive!**_

_**Empty was supposed to be here, but I switched it with Tonight. Empty will be along shortly, as soon as I figure out how to involve Leo in it xD**_

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

**33: Tonight**

_Everything's Gotta Be Perfect_

Leo tried desperately to work with the guy at the podium. The fancy restaurant was about two blocks away from his and Calypso's hotel. Calypso was still asleep, seeing as how Leo had worn her out with running her around Pisa, Italy yesterday. All part of the plan.

"Does _anyone_ speak English in this joint?" Leo begged. "I would really like to speak to a manager!"

The guy at the podium—whose nametag read _Lucca_—sighed and left. A few minutes later, an older gentleman with the name Dante walked up to Leo and led him to the side. This was just so Lucca could continue with the people coming in for their reservations.

"What can I do for you, sir?" Dante asked.

Leo inhaled. "Okay, so I really need to reserve a table for tonight."

The manager grimaced. "Sir, I'm afraid that is not possible. Our tables are reserved _months_ in advance. I cannot allow you to walk in here the same day you made the reservation."

Leo rolled his eyes. "Dude, I'm not asking for a table _now_. I'm asking for one _tonight_. This night is really special to me!"

"I'm sure it is, sir, but you should have made a reservation at least three months back."

"To be fair, I didn't know about this place three months back," Leo argued. "My girlfriend and I have been traversing Europe for years and I really need this place to be the place I…take a step forward in our relationship."

"I'm sorry, sir, but it's just not going to be possible." The manager started walking away.

Leo grabbed his sleeve. "What if I speak in a language you know well?"

Dante cocked an eyebrow. "I'm assuming you are not referring to Italian?"

Leo brought out his golden VISA Olympus credit card, a gift from the god Hermes. "I'm referring to this language."

Dante raised his other eyebrow. He took up the reservation book and turned to the page for tonight's reservations. "Seems we have an opening tonight, after all. You should have said you were a demigod sponsored by Lord Hermes, sir. This restaurant provides service to all sponsored demigods. What name should I put it under?"

Leo blinked in surprise. "Just like that? This isn't a joke?"

Dante nodded. "Of course. Wouldn't want to annoy a god, right?"

Leo looked at one of the nearby tables. An older man smiled and winked at him. Leo somehow figured that was Hermes, weirdly enough. "Um, sure…Put the reservation under Leo Valdez, please." _Geeze, wish I had that kinda service more often. Thanks, Lord Hermes._

* * *

Leo hated shopping for clothes. Normally, he couldn't find anything in his 'scrawny male' size. Of course, in the few years he'd been traveling with Calypso across Europe, he'd grown. Well, his muscles had grown. He'd topped out at five foot six, unfortunately.

Tonight was special, though. Leo needed to spend some serious dough in order to impress. He was willing to do a big makeover for Calypso.

He entered a tuxedo store and went through an hour of painful measuring and combination-choosing. A beautiful woman helped him out and kept him there until everything about his look was _perfect_. Leo didn't feel comfortable during this process, but the final product made him look pretty dashing.

The lady gave him a hairbrush, gel, scissors, and a giant tub of shampoo and conditioner. She smiled behind her glasses, and Leo noticed her eyes were multi-colored, like Piper's.

That was when it hit him. "Aphrodite?" he blurted out.

The woman smiled bigger. "Thanks for that compliment, sir. Now, I recommend spending a good hour on that hair. You've got quite the rat's nest, and since you're aiming to impress Calypso, you would do well to go through the pain of combing it out."

Leo squinted at her. "I never said her name or what I was doing with this tux."

The woman laughed. "Might want to get going. It's 1:30 and you still have to pick _that_ up, and then go and get ready! Go, go, go!"

She pushed him out of the door with his tux and hair products. Leo blinked for a few seconds, wondering why the goddess of love herself decided to do his tux measurements. If anything, she could have just _poofed_ him up a tux that fit…

_"Sorry, Leo, but that's not how I work. You want to make tonight special, you have to go all-out. Beauty is pain, after all."_

Leo shuddered. _I knew that was her…_

* * *

Leo's last stop was to a jeweler's. It didn't really matter which store he went to; he was going to request to see the same guy.

So, Leo chose a place close to the hotel. He walked inside and told the man at the counter, "I'm here to see the smith."

At once, the man's eyes glazed over and he led Leo into the back room, where Hephaestus was waiting.

"'bout time, son," Hephaestus huffed. He held out a blue box. "What took ya?"

"Your wife," Leo grumbled, holding up his tux and products. "I thought gods couldn't directly interfere with mortal lives, but it seems everyone in the council wants a piece of me lately."

"It's not every day a Titaness is involved _this_ closely with a mortal," the god said. "Special cases require special attention."

Leo examined the box's interior and smiled. "It's perfect, Dad." Without thinking, he man-hugged the god of blacksmiths and fire. Hephaestus stiffened and Leo backed off instantly. "Uh…sorry. Spur of the moment."

Hephaestus brushed his coveralls awkwardly. "Yes, well…" He coughed. "Right. Get goin', then, kid. Calypso's prob'ly waitin' for ya."

* * *

Leo hid the blue box in his bag of hair products and burst into his hotel room with glee. "Get dressed, _mi sol_!"

Calypso looked over at him from their bed. "For what? Where have you been all day?"

"Getting tortured," he replied. "Pick your best dress and put on your best face, Sunshine, 'cause we're going out tonight!"

Calypso raised an eyebrow at his excitement. "We go out every night. What makes tonight so special?"

"Just trust me," he said, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "This is a _really_ fancy place, and tonight is a _really_ special night, and I just went through ridiculous amounts of torture for this tux. That, and I'm about to go through Tartarus to do my hair…So get ready! We've got four hours to be there!"

* * *

Three and a half hours later, and Leo was waiting for Calypso to make her entrance out of the bathroom. His usual rat's nest was now completely combed through and his curls were bouncy and clean. All of the grime from Euro-traveling for years had been scrubbed away (with some steel wool involved). His rented tux fit perfectly, though he kept reaching up to adjust his red bowtie.

Then Calypso exited the bathroom.

Leo tried not to drool.

She decided to wear a self-made red dress with orange highlights at the bottom. Her high-heeled boots were black with grey speckles near the top. Everything about that screamed _fire_, which Leo was happy to think about. Her neck had a black choker with a white pearl in the middle, and her hair was braided with several strings of pearls. And, of course, this was one of those rare times when Calypso decided to wear make-up, so…Leo couldn't look at her without thinking she was more beautiful than Aphrodite herself—and Leo didn't really want to offend the goddess of love, so he was unwillingly forced to look away every few seconds.

Leo fingered the box in his pocket. Inside was an engagement ring topped with not a diamond, but a beautiful sapphire as blue as the sea.

Tonight was the night.

Tonight Leo would hopefully make Calypso the happiest woman in the world.

Tonight…he would ask her to be his wife.

* * *

**_A/N: If you would like to see the proposal, please direct your attention to _Papi_ chapter 30: I Remember. The proposal is the final memory at the end. I won't fix what's not broken in that memory, and I can't be bothered to copy/paste or re-write the whole thing, so...yeah._**


	34. Empty

_**This is what happens when something sad happens in my life. Seriously, this event upset me terribly. So much that I couldn't write the first part of this chapter without tearing up.**_

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

**34: Empty**

_The Love We Give_

In all her life, Esperanza Ramirez Valdez had only had one pet. She'd gotten a puppy secretly when she was five and raised it without anyone in her family finding out until it was three.

The dog was an Australian Shepherd/Blue Heeler mix with black, white-speckled fur, a tan snout and paws, and a white tail-tip. He was aptly (though not very originally) named Smokey. He was a sweetheart, but very protective of Esperanza. The only reason he had been discovered was because he had been hit by a car and Anza had to beg her parents to help pay for the vet bill.

So, Smokey, now with a slight limp in his back leg, became the outside dog on the Valdez property. Anza paid for everything she could, and took responsibility for Smokey, since Rosa obviously wouldn't do a darn thing. Smokey was _her_ dog, and Anza definitely proved that she could care for him. The only other Valdez family member that seemed to care for Smokey besides her was Sammy Sr. He would be happy to feed him when Anza was sick.

When she turned eighteen and graduated high school, Esperanza moved out and took Smokey with her.

It had taken a while to find an apartment that would take a big dog, but she managed it. Smokey was perfectly content with spending his elder years in semi-air conditioning.

Smokey had lived a very long life, especially for an Aussie/Heeler mix. Most outside dogs in Houston didn't live as long as Smokey, but he defied all odds and lasted for seventeen years.

Then, just before Esperanza turned twenty-three, Smokey finally decided it was time to go. He was deaf by that time, but Anza had kept him close and spoiled him until the final moment in the vet's. She stroked his fur the entire time he was in the vet's, and, with tears in her eyes, said goodbye before the vet took him for cremation.

At that time, Anza was doing well. She was getting her master's while working two jobs, which was stressful, but she was successful. Emotionally, she was a wreck. She saved as much as she could—which was not much—just so she could afford a puppy again.

While her career took off, she caught the attention of a certain god of blacksmiths. He actually technically ran one of the shops she worked in, knowing she needed the money. He might not have been good with people, but he could at least tell when they were upset.

So, one day, Hephaestus awkwardly asked her what was wrong. She told him that her dog—her childhood friend—had died, and he felt bad.

Okay, so he wasn't just feeling sad for her, or sorry. He loved strong, passionate, equally-socially-awkward ladies that could handle themselves in a machine shop. Any girl willing to get dirty was in his top ten list, regardless of beauty level.

Hephaestus saw this as his chance to get on her good side, so he tried to be bold for once. The next day, he came up to Esperanza Valdez and handed her a box with a ribbon on it.

"What is this?" she asked.

Hephaestus shifted slightly. "I thought maybe you might want some cheerin' up. I know it can't replace ol' Smoke, but…I hope you like it."

Esperanza opened the box and saw a little bronze dog sitting inside. It was in the shape of an Australian Shepherd/Blue Heeler mix, looking almost exactly like Smokey. It wore a silver collar with **_Smokey II_** engraved on the front. Anza pressed a button on the side of the collar, which made the tiny dog come to life and yap quietly and happily wag its tail.

She began to cry. "You made this?"

He nodded. "You like it?"

For the first time in a while, Hephaestus actually got hugged. Esperanza wrapped her arms around his large frame and cried into his chest. "I love it! Thank you so much, Hank!" (Hank being his human name)

Hephaestus tried not to stiffen, wrapping his arms around her to reciprocate the hug. "Uh, you're welcome."

* * *

For the next few months, Esperanza was happy. The whole '_I'm a god_' thing had thrown her for a loop, but she felt so much closer to him than she ever had to the guys in high school. She understood that she couldn't hold his attention forever, but it was nice to have it now.

Smokey II helped her heal. It was solar powered, so she didn't have to feed it or buy batteries, and it was tiny enough that she could keep it in her new, less expensive, 'no pets' apartment. The knob on its side that controlled the volume helped a lot, too. Smokey II never left Anza's side or pocket, even at work.

The only thing was, she still felt empty. Like she was missing something. She knew she wouldn't be able to marry Hephaestus, so it couldn't be that. She had Smokey II now to fill a bit of the hole Smokey had left her with. But the hole was still there.

Then, three months before she turned twenty-four, Esperanza found out that she was pregnant. Save for Sammy Sr., her family all had the same reaction: "You've made a terrible decision and should get rid of that baby."

It broke her heart that her family (sans Sammy and a few of her uncles) didn't support her pregnancy. It wasn't like she could tell them it would be the child of a god. They wouldn't believe her and make her see a psychiatrist. Except for Sammy, she couldn't even show them Smokey II. They'd think it was the work of the devil, since it wasn't made the way anything else was made at the time.

Hephaestus was happy for her, but she knew he couldn't be around for their child. He had promised that he would be a strong demigod one day, and that in the future he would be taken to a safe place for his kind that she wouldn't be able to access. She was happy that she was able to have his child and promised to raise the baby to be the best child of Hephaestus it could be.

Around month five, Esperanza found out the gender of her baby. It made her happy that it would be a boy.

She rubbed her extended belly happily. "You'll be a strong man, my little one. You'll be a lion when you grow up, brave and fierce. You'll make your father proud…Leo."

It was then that she realized that the hole in her heart was slowly losing the emptiness. Leo was filling it up now. That was why she had felt empty. She didn't have a living thing to take care of after Smokey left. Now she would have one again, as well as a little Smokey II to help her not feel lonely.

The emptiness was gone, now. And Esperanza couldn't be happier about it.

* * *

**_A/N: So, Smokey is my dog__. Was. He was seventeen years old and just passed yesterday. :( I am very upset, but I decided to channel that sadness into this. It started with just Smokey and then I suddenly added how Esperanza and Hephaestus got together. Okay, then._**

**_Still sad, but I'll be fine. I'm going to get a memorial tatt of his paw on my back, opposite of my other memorial friend tatt, on my b-day._**

**_Rest in peace, Smokey._**


	35. Melody

_**FIRE IMP LEO! YISS!**_

_**This time, we discover a weakness Leo now has. Though, to be honest, he kinda had a tiny weakness to it already (as seen in HoH when Calypso helped him with the mirror)**_

_**Anyway, enjoy! If anyone is confused, like they somehow skipped the chapter titled Pillar and don't know why Leo is the way he is, then please first direct your attention to my other story: The Imp Within.**_

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

**35: Melody**

_The Weakness of a Fire Imp_

"I'm actually stumped," Will said, putting his hands on his hips. "I honestly don't know how to heal you, Leo."

Leo sneezed, a few embers spewing from his mouth. Lava snot dripped from his nose. He sniffled. "What d'you mean you don't…_Achoo_...know how to heal me?"

Will shrugged. "You're not what they would call a normal patient."

Calypso sat nearby, a frown on her face. Will was correct; Leo wasn't a demigod anymore—he was a fire imp. Ambrosia would probably kill him and normal medicine would probably burn inside his esophagus before it reached his stomach. Poor Leo was sick with some sort of fire imp flu, and he was stuck in full imp form until he got better—which meant no one but Calypso was brave enough to touch him anywhere near his forehead (where locks of his fiery mane dropped down). Even Will was apprehensive around him.

Leo looked absolutely pitiful. His hair was made of yellowy-orange flames, which were really low, and dark bags circled his eyes. His bronze skin was extremely pale and clammy, and his tail and wings drooped from exhaustion.

Leo sneezed again. "Isn't there _anything_ you can do?"

Will pondered, but came up short. "All I can suggest is bed rest and lots of fluids—to drink, of course.

Leo shuddered, still remembering the time Percy nearly killed him when he was swept away by a current the son of Poseidon had made in the creek. "Fine…_achoo_…but I'm staying in my own bed. This infirmary is dull."

Calypso led her fire imp boyfriend out of the infirmary. She let him lean on her for support. He dragged his feet a lot, and Calypso could hear his tail sliding in the dirt behind him.

When they got Leo settled into his bunk, Calypso handed him some tissues. He blew his nose, setting the tissues on fire immediately. The good thing was, his ember and lava snot disintegrated with the tissue, so trash was not that much of a problem.

"Let me get you a glass of water," Calypso offered.

Leo pointed with his tail towards a corner. "There's a cooler full of water bottles over there."

Calypso allowed him to drink the whole bottle. He snuggled into his fireproof blankets and curled into a ball. His tail and head were the only things sticking out from underneath the blankets.

Calypso stroked his tail gently, receiving a purr-growl from Leo. She began to hum a little tune, one that usually used to help her heroes settle down on Ogygia if they were stressed.

Leo's tail twitched in acknowledgement to the tune, and it began to sway a little. Calypso hummed louder. When she finished the song, she switched to a new melody. Leo hummed weirdly and fell asleep before she reached the chorus.

Calypso smiled and found a sleeping bag to sleep in. Sometimes she slept in the same bed, but full imp Leo just isn't something one lays next to.

When she let go of Leo's tail, however, he whined in his sleep. His tail swished harder, like it was reaching for something. Calypso gently grabbed it to stuff it into the blankets when his tail curled around her hand lovingly. She raised an eyebrow and began to hum the rest of the song from earlier. The tail loosened and eventually went limp.

"Attention hog," Calypso whispered before she decided to take a nap herself.

* * *

Annabeth looked in her old book of non-Greek monsters. Will had requested for her to research any possible healing methods for fire imps, since Leo wasn't feeling very well.

Annabeth looked at weaknesses first to see if Leo had gained any allergies. That might help in finding a cure for later.

_Water is the main weakness of fire imps_, she thought as she read through a paragraph. _That one is obvious. Let's see…water…water…geeze, it just rambles on and on about how water can kill an imp—hang on. 'Methods for subduing fire imps: water gun, bronze netting, siren song or vocals resembling siren song…examples below.'_

Annabeth read further and blinked.

"That's interesting," she mused. "So if Leo needs rest and rejuvenation, all Calypso needs to do is…"

* * *

"Leo," Calypso mumbled a few hours after she put Leo to bed. "Leo, wake up, please."

She nudged his shoulder, gradually getting more forceful. "Leo, come on. Dinner is in a few minutes. Do you want anything specific? Leo, wake up!"

Leo was deathly still. The gradual rise and fall of his chest was the only sign that he was alive. Even his tail wasn't moving. His form was peaceful and his inner flames were settled and calm. "Leo?"

"Calypso, he's fine."

The former Titaness whirled around and saw Annabeth in the back doorway of Leo's room. She looked calm as she stared at Leo. She was holding her 'fire imp guide' book.

Annabeth smiled. "I found out something interesting regarding fire imps, Calypso. There's a good saying that describes it: 'Music soothes the savage beast.'" She nodded to Leo. "Fire imps are susceptible to singing. Specific songs have different effects on them."

Calypso blinked. "They do?"

"What did you sing to him?"

"I hummed a song that used to help some of my sisters fall asleep."

Annabeth chuckled. "Then you made him fall asleep. Probably for the full eight hours."

Calypso let out the breath she was holding. "Thank the gods…" A lightbulb went off in her mind. "So, if I find a song about healing…"

"You might heal Leo," Annabeth finished. "It's worth a shot. Want to go to the Athena Cabin library and find some healing songs?"

"Or we could go to the Apollo Cabin and ask them for some," Calypso offered.

"Either works."

* * *

Leo woke up feeling extremely refreshed. His sickness was gone, and he felt as though he'd slept for a month. He sat up and stretched, his tail waving back and forth in a lively manner.

"Good morning, Leo!"

Leo smiled as Calypso came into his vision and kissed him. When they broke, Leo grinned. "I'm feeling so much better! All I needed was a good night's sleep!"

Calypso smirked. "You could say that."

"What is it?"

"It's just…Annabeth told me something interesting about fire imps."

Leo paled. "What did she tell you?"

Calypso kissed his nose. "You like my singing, right?"

Leo nodded.

She started humming a happy tune. Leo's heart beat faster and he suddenly felt like he needed to jump around and play like a little kid. The melody seeped into him and made him happy.

When Calypso was done humming, Leo's mind snapped back to normal. "What just happened?" he asked.

Calypso smiled, an evil glint in her eye. "I discovered my advantage over you, my darling fire imp."

She kissed him again and left the room. "Breakfast is in ten, Leo."

Leo sat in his bed, feeling as though he wouldn't be able to pull any pranks or annoy Calypso for a while…

* * *

**_A/N: To make it clear, siren song or anything close to it, like Calypso's voice (since Rick made it seem as though it was like a good siren's voice), can put Leo or any fire imp into a trance-like state. Kind of like hypnotism, only on a much grander scale, as it can heal or kill. Of course Calypso wouldn't kill Leo with her singing, but that doesn't mean she can't get revenge on him after he pranks her._**


	36. Sword

**_Be forewarned: I am about to make a small rant._**

**_I WAS gonna make this particular prompt about Reycent, since I haven't done them in ten chapters and Purple is a Roman color. But then I saw someone told me to tone it down with the Leo, so…MOAR LEO! YAY! Purple is now switched with Sword. Say thanks to that guest for more Leo, guys :)_**

**_Here's the thing: When I say my muse is Leo, I mean it. He and his family (former and future) are the easiest for me to write; next would be Frazel. I don't go to someone else's 100 chapter story and say "Could you tone it down with the Percabeth/Percy?" Their muse is obviously Percy and/or Annabeth and I respect that._**

**_Nowhere in the site or this particular challenge does it say I have to use all characters equally. To me, Leo is the main character. Meaning: he and his family will be getting more attention and, as a result, more chapters (most likely in a row). End of discussion._**

**_On a lighter note, guess what? This particular Leo chapter will be in a popular AU of mine._**

**_PIRATES!_**

**_You're welcome._**

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

**36: Sword**

_Inspiration Strikes Again_

"You sure you wanna do this, Sunshine?" Leo asked. "Handling swords is pretty dangerous…"

Calypso rolled her eyes, tapping her foot as Leo drew a couple practice swords out of a bucket in the ship armory. "You didn't see that wanted poster? There's a bounty on my head. Seeing as how you can't defend yourself very well against hunters, I might as well learn how to fight for the both of us."

Leo scoffed. "I'll have you know I can put up a decent fight!"

Calypso cocked an eyebrow in disbelief. "Says the man who went into a coma after trying to take on Octavian and Kahale."

"I _did_ take two bullets, one of which was for Jason, y'know," he said casually.

Calypso marched up to him and took one of the practice swords. "Guns are not my style. I'm going to go up and learn a move or two from Piper and Hazel. Maybe when you've got the balls to take on a girl, you can come join me."

Leo smirked. "Look at you. Three months after leaving your princess-hood for a pirate and already you're throwin' insults at the captain's manhood."

Calypso smirked back and left the room, happy to know he hadn't taken her insult seriously enough that it had hurt his feelings.

Leo smiled. An idea came to his mind and he skittered off to the engine room, excited about his new project.

* * *

"You need a rest?" Piper asked, panting.

Calypso slid against the cool metal of the smokestack mast, panting hard. "Yes! Oh, gods, that was intense!"

Hazel slid next to her as they all sat down together. "It's the best way to learn," she informed Calypso. "Trial-by-fire is the way you keep those swordplay thoughts in your head. But, at least with you learning with us instead of during a raid or a battle, the fire is less heated and you have a few safety nets."

Calypso sighed and leaned her head back, looking up at the sky—or, the smoke-filled sky. "I suppose you're right."

Piper smiled. "By the way, at least your wanted poster has a good picture of you. It took them forever to get one of me."

Calypso grimaced. "My picture is of when I was still a princess! That's not very 'good', if you ask me."

"At least it makes you look good," Hazel put in. "While you look like a runaway princess—which, might I add, you _are_—some of the main captains look like drunken gremlins. Have you seen Dakota the Drunk's poster before Captain Solace became a privateer? It was the most ridiculously disgusting thing I'd ever seen!"

The girls laughed. A whistle sounded and all three shot up and ran for the galley. They knew from experience that being last in line for food meant bad tidings for your stomach.

* * *

Jason poked his head into the engine room. Calypso had asked where Leo was, so he'd volunteered to check on their oh-so-amazing captain.

"Leo?" he called. "You in here?"

"Yeah!"

Jason followed the sound of the captain's voice. "It's dinner time, Leo. Calypso's wondering where you are."

Leo's head poked out of a cubby corner, which scared the tar out of the former naval captain. His eyes were wild, his hair was unruly, and he looked all sorts of intense. "Go away," he barked. "I'm busy."

The captain shot back into the cubby, away from Jason's vison. Jason was way too big to fit in there, so he called again, "Look, you know the doctors said not to push yourself too hard so soon after your recovery. You've gotta take it slow."

"I am _inspired_! Leave me be, Jason!" Leo didn't even poke his head out for that. It was just an echo.

Jason rolled his eyes and sighed. "Fine. But when Calypso comes stomping in here to drag you out, don't start crying."

If the captain had heard the threat, Jason didn't hear an acknowledgement. Jason _could_ hear some muttering, though. Something about a design being too girly or manly?

* * *

Two days later and the captain of the _Argo II_ had still not shown his face. When Jason told the girls Leo was 'inspired' Hazel and Piper groaned.

"That means he's not gonna be human until he's finished with his project," Piper warned him. "He's gone for weeks like that."

"Weeks?" Jason and Calypso asked incredulously.

Hazel nodded. "Just deliver food to the engine room once a day. He'll eat it. If he realizes he needs to eat more, he'll actually come to the galley."

Calypso shook her head. "How is that man alive? He should be resting!"

"You said he was in a cubby?" Piper asked.

Jason nodded.

She smiled. "Give him a few days, then. He's making a weapon. Probably found a way to make lighter swords again. Can't thank him enough for my deadly dagger. Light as a feather, yet deadlier than a snake."

Hazel giggled. "Be thankful it's a weapon so soon after his recovery. Anything big and we actually might feel nervous."

So, for the next two days, someone delivered food to Leo in the engine room. Calypso had tried to get him to come out, but the moment he realized it was her he screamed at her to get out. Not angrily, of course; he'd merely shoved her out the door, asking her to not come back until he said so.

The former princess was rather peeved at her lover's blatant disregard for his own health. She complained to Piper, but her friend shrugged it off and offered to take her thoughts away from Leo.

They practiced sword fighting for a few more hours before Calypso went off to tend to her garden.

* * *

On the third day, Leo came into the light. And he looked stupidly terrible with disheveled, unbrushed curls, a pale and sunken face, wild eyes, and skinny limbs. In his bony hands he held a long box with a misshapen bow wrapped around it.

"_Princesa_," Leo called.

Calypso, who had been lounging on the top deck with Frank and Hazel, turned to her dumb lover. She grimaced at his smell—clearly he hadn't thought of his hygiene the past three days.

"So the prince of pirates finally graces us with his presence," she noted. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

Leo handed her the box. "Happy birthday!"

Calypso eyed the box. "It's not my birthday."

"But it's the gift's birthday, since I finished making it today!"

Calypso smiled and rolled her eyes. She unwrapped the box and opened it. Her eyes widened in surprise.

Inside was a long rapier, sparkling new and glittering in the sunlight. A little sapphire was placed at the end of the pommel. The handle and guard shimmered gold, delicately carved with intricate designs that swooped and swirled around. The crossbars shone like glass, but Calypso could tell it was just delicate and thin silver. The blade was thin but sharp, also bearing designs. Upon closer inspection, Calypso saw tiny rose designs shining between the abstract carvings.

"Is this…is this what you were working on?" Calypso stammered.

Leo blushed. "Took me a whole day just to be happy with the swoopy parts on the hilt. And making it light enough for you to swing around."

Calypso did a few test swings. The blade sliced through the air cleanly and swiftly. No resistance. Little to no weight. She sliced a test 'C' on the side of the ship. Sharper than any blade she'd ever seen. No jagged lines were present on the cut or the metal.

"It's amazing," Calypso gasped. "And beautiful!"

Leo grinned from ear to ear. "You really like it?"

"I love it!" She hugged Leo hard enough to knock them both to the ground. They lay there, laughing and kissing.

Frank rolled his eyes. "You two should get a room. I'm getting cavities from the sweetness."

Hazel giggled. "Like we don't do it to them." They kissed, too.

Leo's eyes sparkled and he gave his love a mischievous grin. "A room, huh? Not a bad idea."

Calypso stood rapidly and pointed the tip of her new blade right at his throat. "Not until you eat and take a bath, you dummy."

Leo laughed. "And when I do as you tell me?"

Calypso bent down and kissed his nose. "You do what I tell you, and we'll see about that room for two."

Leo rushed to get clean so fast he left skid marks on the ground.

* * *

**_A/N: I actually like that song. I just think that the way the guitar is played would probably hurt a monster's ears. It's not metal or anything, it's just different. :)  
_**


	37. Panic Switch

**_Well, this was interesting. I couldn't figure out what I wanted to do with this, but then I finally got inspiration!  
_**

**_The song mentioned below is by the Silversun Pickups. I only included a few lyrics to get the point across, not to steal._**

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

**37: Panic Switch**

_It's There For a Reason_

Percy Jackson hated his ADHD sometimes. It was the one thing that kept him from functioning as a normal teenager.

Sure, he didn't mind that he sometimes had the attention span of a fish—he liked fish—and it was a great help in trying to zone out during boring lectures from teachers or Annabeth. It was when he was actually _trying_ to focus when it became a problem.

Like trying to focus on navigating through a really rocky strait. Percy could sense where the rocks were, and normally it wouldn't be that bad to steer.

But Percy had noticed a lever near the helm the other day. It was something Leo had obviously installed. **_Panic Switch_**.

Percy wanted to pull it _so_ bad! But Leo was very protective of his stuff. He had specifically said that no one was to touch anything, push any buttons, or pull any switches without his say-so. Percy knew that the son of Hephaestus, as crazy as he was, was completely serious about his projects and Percy knew better than to touch anything dangerous of Leo's.

But this lever!

Gods, Percy was going to go crazy if he didn't pull the panic switch!

Of course, there was actually no emergency to justify pulling it, so Percy didn't have an excuse ready. Percy sighed and tried to focus, but his gaze kept pulling back to the "panic switch".

Suddenly, the ship lurched to the side. Percy cursed in Ancient Greek as he pitched forward over the helm. He hadn't sensed any rocks, so the disturbance must have been a monster.

He was right, of course. A serpent reared up out of the water—no, wait, it wasn't a serpent. It was a water hydra!

_Oh, joy_, he thought. _As if I didn't have enough on my mind…_

This hydra had only three heads, but it was more than enough to keep Percy on his toes. Festus, the figurehead of the _Argo II_, roared and tried to snap at the dragon, but the monster kept just out of reach. It probably knew Festus could breathe fire, which would keep it from growing another hundred heads.

One of the heads spat a hydra curse at Percy, baring its yellow fangs. All three heads tried to eat the demigod, failing. The _Argo_ was still sailing, even with a hydra on its bow, so Percy had to keep the stupid boat afloat, as well as make sure it didn't run into any rocks—whoops, bottom just scraped a little boulder…

Percy looked back at the switch. The other demigods were probably pitching and rolling around down below, or still sleeping, since it was two in the morning.

_But Leo refuses to sleep sometimes. If I pull the switch, maybe it'll make an alarm and Leo will rush to help?_

Percy knew he needed help. He wasn't foolish enough to take a hydra alone. A serpent or minotaur, sure. But not a hydra, regardless of its head count.

The son of Poseidon dodged the heads and ran for the switch. He pulled it, expecting an alarm or some fireworks or maybe even a flare.

What he got was fifty seconds of a sick drumbeat, rocking bass, and a low, screeching guitar. Everyone, including Festus, paused, listening. The hydra hissed, as if it didn't like the tune.

_"Time is never worth my time…_

_Blue shine bleeds into my eyes…"_

Percy looked around. "What the…? What's going on?"

As the song progressed, it became increasingly clear that the hydra was not a fan of this music. Percy had to admit that the guitar was pretty scratchy, but the vocals were nice. The hydra spat and hissed, throwing its heads around as the beat picked up and the chorus began:

_"When you see yourself in a crowded room,_

_Do your fingers itch, are you pistol whipped?_

_Will you step in line or release the glitch?_

_Can you fall asleep with a panic switch?"_

The hydra snarled and snapped, angry at the song for existing and hurting its ears. Percy realized that must be the problem—the music must be hurting its ears, or earholes…? Whatever.

Percy looked on the control booth and saw something that kinda looked like volume control. He pressed the plus symbol and the music got unbearably loud. The whole ship vibrated with each bass note and drum beat. The water rippled in rhythm.

The hydra was not pleased. Its three heads yowled in disharmony and fled, returning to the sea to tell its friends not to ever play that song near it ever.

Just as the hydra disappeared, Leo ran on deck, holding his pants up as he tried to button his suspenders. The son of Hephaestus stomped over to the control booth and pushed the lever back, ending the song.

"Really, Percy?" he shouted, sounding ticked off. "You choose balls o'clock in the morning to play that song? I'll get you the CD, dude—and some headphones, if you wanna jam out!"

"Dude, I thought it was a literal panic switch!" Percy pointed to the sea. "A stupid hydra decided it was breakfast time and was about to overwhelm the ship, so I pulled the switch, thinking it would alert you guys."

"It definitely alerted me," Leo grumbled. "You didn't have to play it so loud."

"The hydra wasn't a fan of the music, so I figured it was the best way to get rid of it. It worked." Percy frowned at the switch. "Why is that even there?"

Leo shrugged. "I like that song. Also, it's my timer. I play that song when I got five free minutes to see if I can make something in that time."

Percy groaned. "Can you at least label it better next time? That's like putting a button out in the open marked _Self Destruct_ and it starts playing a song instead of doing what it says."

Leo chuckled. "Fine. I'll make sure to remember that." He glanced around. "At least you got us out of that rocky-stuff."

Percy hadn't even noticed that they were out of the strait and in open water. He sighed in relief.

Leo patted him on the back. "I'm up, now. Since you just got us out of two messes, I'll take over. Get some rest."

Percy wanted to argue, but Leo was already pushing him out of the way. He yawned. "Fine. Sorry about the wake-up call. I know you haven't been sleeping as much lately."

"No big deal." Leo started messing with the controls, turning down the volume for the song before replaying it. "It's an interesting song to wake up to. But now it's gonna be stuck in my head."

Percy left and shuffled to his room, explaining five different times to five cranky demigods why the ship had suddenly become a moving rock concert.

* * *

The next afternoon, Percy noticed he hadn't seen Leo at breakfast or lunch. He walked upstairs and on deck, seeing Leo asleep at the controls. Buford the wonder table was driving—somehow—so there was no immediate danger of crashing. The son of Hephaestus was curled up with a wrench in his hand, drooling all over the buttons and levers.

Percy rolled his eyes and shook the teen's shoulders. "Leo. Leo, wake up."

Leo snorted and jumped back. "Wha…?"

"Come on, Leo," Percy said softly as he began leading Leo away. "You need to go to the engine room. I think there are some mechanical sheep there that need counting."

Leo mumbled sleepily as he shuffled. Percy looked behind him, making sure the son of Hephaestus didn't leave anything important lying around.

He grinned when he saw the duct tape under the **_Panic Switch_** lever. On the tape was a little note scrawled in bad handwriting: **_THE SONG_**.

* * *

**_A/N: I actually like that song. I just think that the way the guitar is played would probably hurt a monster's ears. It's not metal or anything, it's just different. :)  
_**


	38. Sanctuary

_**Sorry for the delay. Life gets in the way. Jobs and job requirements get a lot of attention sometimes. That, and the X-Men fic I've been posting took some of the attention as well. :3**_

**_Yeah, I know the last one wasn't too good—nowhere close to my best. BUT! I hope to make up for it with this one!_**

**_Also, sorry for the wait. As you can see, I've been preoccupied with my X-Men story. Don't worry, I'm still writing HoO things! But my job has been shoving dumb things down my throat lately, and somehow Nightcrawler fanfiction was my solution to that :/ Weird, right?_**

**_Congrats to Sally Stevens for being my 400th reviewer on this story! She got to have a hint for this prompt!_**

**_Maybe if I pay attention to the count more closely, I'll allow the 500th reviewer—who ISN'T a guest—get an OC in my stories? Who knows!_**

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

**38: Sanctuary**

_Everything May Happen for a Reason  
_

Leo normally loved storms. In the Houston humidity and heat, the rain was Heaven-sent, cool and refreshing. The thunder and lightning was an awesome distraction for his ADHD mind. And the mud after storms? Well, what nine-year-old doesn't love mud?

But this wasn't a normal thunderstorm. This was the remnant of a hurricane—Hurricane Katrina, as he'd heard on the news reels playing on the display TVs in the window of some shop he passed. Apparently it'd hit New Orleans really hard, and it was currently ravaging Houston, too.

Twice Leo thought he'd actually be blown away. It was a scary feeling, lifting off the ground a few feet. He'd managed to grab onto a sign and a truck both times he'd nearly flown away.

The rain was blinding, slapping him harder than his Aunt Rosa ever could. It stung his eyes every time he tried to open them, and it soaked his bones, chilling him.

He stood still on some street, lost and freezing—_freezing_, of all things! He couldn't open his eyes, in fear of crap flying into them or the rain blinding him permanently. He hoped the rain would let up a little so he could find a nice, safe alley to curl up in.

Something wrapped around his shoulders. Leo heard a voice shout over the din of the storm, "Come inside, child! You shouldn't be out in this mess!"

Leo felt himself being led up some stairs and through a large entryway. He heard big doors close. _Where am I?_ He dared to peek out.

He was in a church! The stained glass was boarded up on the outside. Candles were lit everywhere, giving the holy place a solemn feel. A few people were curled around the pews, either sleeping or praying.

Leo wasn't religious. He didn't really understand the point. What God would allow such suffering in a young boy's life? Why would He allow Leo to lose his mother and get kicked out of the family for doing nothing but existing? Everything happened because God wanted it to happen? Sounded dumb.

A towel was wrapped around his shoulders. Leo turned to look an old pastor in the eye. The man was smiling, holding another towel as he stood there, just as wet as Leo.

"Here, child," the man offered, giving Leo the other towel. "You are soaked to the bone. Welcome to the St. Joseph's church."

Leo ran the towel over his head and face. "Thanks," he mumbled.

"My name is Brother Dave," the man.

"Leo."

The pastor gave him a warm smile. "It is nice to meet you, Leo. But why were you out in such a storm? Surely your parents must be worried sick."

Leo kept the towel over his head, shielding his darkened face.

Brother Dave gave him a thoughtful look. "Well, the storm is still going to be raging for a while. The church is on high ground, so there's no risk of flooding. There is a table with blankets and water over there. Stay until the storm subsides, at least, Leo."

He placed a hand on Leo's shoulder. "Whether you're running away from your parents, or from your problems, I hope you find peace in reflecting here."

"I'm not religious," Leo muttered.

"God loves all his children, even those who choose not to see Him. Even the most non-religious person finds comfort in a tiny prayer at least once in their life."

He left Leo alone, the towel still draped over the child's head.

Leo wandered down the aisle, heading towards the table in front of the pews with blankets and water bottles. A few people turned their heads to glance at him, but didn't say anything. That was fine with him. He didn't want the attention, for once in his short life.

When he reached the front, Leo looked up at the cross. He frowned. "Comfort? What comfort is there in a God who lets this happen to me?" His eyes filled with tears, and he wiped them away furiously. "What God allows a kid to be kicked out of his family? What God gives him a curse at birth?"

"Who says it's a curse?"

Leo spun around. An old, homeless guy leaning heavily on a crutch limped up to Leo. He stayed a good distance away, to show the boy he meant no harm. His beard was grey and scorched, as if he'd been struck by lightning. His voice was scratchy as he said, "I ain't that religious, either, but I hear some people sayin' that God has a reason for why he does what he does."

"And I guess the reason for my curse was so I could—" Leo stopped himself. He wouldn't say it. He wouldn't. "If He's so nice and forgiving, why would He do this in the first place?"

The old man shrugged. "Maybe the bigger reason hasn't come up yet. Sometimes, a gift is disguised as a curse."

Leo scoffed. "I don't see how mine could be anything but a curse…" He lowered his voice. "My family's right…I _am_ a demon…"

"Now, don't go sayin' that, boy." A large hand began to pat Leo's shoulder. "I've seen my fair share o' demon-like men. You ain't one o' them. Yer just a kid."

Leo shivered under his towel. The man got a blanket from the table under the cross and wrapped Leo up. "C'mon, kid. Cheer up. Everything happens for a reason, whether there's a higher power pulling the strings or not."

"Why would you care?" Leo spat quietly.

The man hesitated, then sighed. "Maybe I just think a kid shouldn't be sad. You want to talk about bad families? My mom threw me off a mountain because I was uglier than she wanted me to be."

Leo felt a little better about his family issues. The man continued, "If it hadn't been fer that, though, I wouldn't have grown up the way I did. I did pretty well fer myself, even if I don't like my family too much. Fate may choose yer family, but that don't mean you have to sit there and take it if they're a bad one."

"Well, I didn't," Leo said quietly. "I ran away."

"And if that's the way you deal with it, then fine." The man patted Leo on the shoulder. "But don't be angry about this all the time. I let vengeance and anger fuel my life fer a while. It doesn't help in the long run." He gestured to himself, making sure Leo saw the homeless clothes. "Trust me."

Leo took a while before sighing. "Thanks. I think that helped."

"Anytime, kid." The man limped away, but not before muttering, "You should smile, more, boy. I bet you'd look just like Esperanza and light up the world with it…"

Leo blinked and spun to ask the man how he'd known Leo's mom's name. But the man was gone. Leo looked at the cross, then up in general. _Was that You? Or am I just hallucinating?_

Leo went over to a corner of the church and hunkered down, curling up inside his blanket. He listened to the whistling wind of the hurricane outside the church.

_"Maybe I just think a kid shouldn't be sad."_

_"Everything happens for a reason."_

_"Don't be angry about this all the time."_

_"You should smile more."_

Leo glanced at the pews and Brother Dave walking around the church. His words joined the old man's circling in his head.

_"I hope you find peace in reflecting here."_

_"Even the most non-religious person finds comfort in a tiny prayer at least once in their life."_

Leo looked to the ceiling and, for the first time in his short life, prayed. "God? Um…if that old man was Your way of telling me to stop complaining, then…I guess I will. I mean, my life still stinks, but I guess I could do what Mom did and smile through it, right? Is that what You want?"

He paused, half-expecting an answer. He didn't really know if he was doing this right, but continued anyway. "Um, also, speaking of my stink-tastic life…do You think maybe—just _maybe_—You could tone it down with the stink? I know I just ran away, but…maybe give me a better reason to stay in the next place, yeah? Just a suggestion. And, um, if You won't take away my cur—_gift_, can You at least let me control it better? Or lessen it?"

He sighed. "Also…thanks for sending the old man. If that was an angel or something, cool. If not, well, thanks anyway, I guess. He helped."

Leo yawned and snuggled deeper into his blanket. Right before he fell asleep, he muttered, "Oh yeah…Amen, I guess?"

* * *

Far away, on Mount Olympus, Hephaestus viewed his son through a machine. He smiled. "Good enough, boy." He waved his hand. Leo's fire power lessened. The god knew his son wouldn't need it for years, so it was okay for the boy to not worry about it until then. Leo shivered and curled tighter into his blanket again, unknowing that his powers had gone to sleep for a bit. "You're doing well, Leo," Hephaestus whispered. "You ain't alone. I'm sorry I can't be there for you. Dad's orders. One day, we'll talk properly."

He sighed, running his fingers through his smoking beard. "Maybe by then you'll have learned how to smile like yer mother," he muttered with a smile.

The god watched his son a few minutes more, before turning off the machine and leaving Leo in his temporary sanctuary.

* * *

**_A/N: Sorry that took forever. I didn't want it to drag out or kinda stink like the last one.  
_**

**_To clarify, the year is 2004, and Katrina is raging through down South. I honestly don't know how it affected Houston, so I took some liberty there. My headcanon is that Anza died in '03, so Leo would be nine when Katrina hit. I realize he's a little serious for a nine-year-old, but considering what he's been through, I feel like he has a right to be grumpy._**

**_Also, I was trying to be neutral with the religious stuff. Since Leo IS nine, and I believe Anza wouldn't be very religious after meeting Hephaestus and pass that belief onto Leo, he wouldn't really know what to do and be awkward in his prayers._**

**_I know Hephaestus isn't good with people, and that he said he'd wanted to talk to Leo, but I just...I needed some sort of thing to happen like this. Just to cheer Leo up a little. :)_**


	39. Golden

**_Okay, so this was going to be another one shot story, but then I realized there was a prompt in OSC called Golden! It fits so perfectly I couldn't resist the switch with Spell. Honestly, I probably could have put the Monster Mash under Spell and went on my merry way, but for some reason I feel like Spell could have more potential. So, good-bye to Spell for now, see you at the end of the OSC in Golden's place!_**

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

**39: Golden**

_Old Age is Not This Color_

"Geeze, Leo, how can you even _hold_ a pencil? Your hands are more gnarled than mine!"

Leo looked up from his simple sphere sketch, smiling. His smile lit up his whole face, the lines in his face actually showing their purpose. As he grinned, his perfect white teeth—the only clean part of his body most of the time—shone in the noon sunlight. Even though he was the second youngest of the Seven, he looked the oldest.

Of course, the Seven—all sitting in a shaded picnic area in the park—all looked old. They were all in their seventies, had wrinkles, liver spots, and white hair, and they all had grandchildren. In fact, a couple of them already had _great_ grandchildren. Of course, those great grandchildren were tiny babies, and there were only two at the moment, but still…!

Piper waved her sandwich at the old Latino. "Seriously, I can hear knuckles popping from over here, and I know they aren't mine!"

Leo shrugged. "I think it helps that my wife has herbs to ease the pain."

Percy scoffed. He shook his head, making his pure white—and thinning—hair twirl in the wind. "Sure wish _I_ had a wife that could make me healing herbs, or even a son that could kiss my pain better."

Annabeth slapped him. "Hush, you old crab. If you wanted Calypso, you should have stayed with her the first time you met."

Percy grinned playfully. "You're still the most beautiful woman in the world to me, Wise Girl, if that makes you feel better."

Annabeth smirked, playing with her ponytail and fixing her reading glasses.

Leo chuckled. "Well, sorry to disappoint you, Annabeth, but Calypso's the most beautiful woman in the world to _me_. Now, don't let that get you down too much, dearie. I know how much you enjoy my attention." He barked out a laugh.

Jason laughed, too, taking Piper's hand and looking at her with sparkling eyes.

Percy held up his hands, knowing where this conversation was heading. "Okay, back up. We're getting all mushy here! I know we're all old and _somehow_ we're all still alive, but that doesn't give us the right to _act_ old and lovey-dovey around each other!"

"No, we should go back to complaining," Piper said, her voice dripping with humor. "We're old. We should be crabby! So, who here is also having so much fun in their old age their bodies can't keep up?"

Percy raised his hand. "Me! So much fun! Who _doesn't_ like walking around in a hunch because their back is hurting a lot? I am loving the back pain!"

"You could always get a cane to support it," Hazel suggested, waving her hand towards her jeweled walking cane. She'd needed one for the past few years to support her weakening legs. Sammy Leo, her firstborn, had offered to get her a walker, but she promptly refused by saying a cane was all she needed for now.

"And risk a dog stealing it? No thank you!"

"One time," Hazel protested. "One time a dog tries to 'play fetch' with my cane, and suddenly no one wants one!"

"To be fair," Leo added. "I don't need one." He patted his wheelchair/hover chair, which he'd been in since his late thirties.

"Your back needs a brace," Jason offered. "Just talk to one of the Apollo kids; they'll help you get one."

"Like I'm gonna take advice from the guy who loses his glasses more than Annabeth!"

"In my defense," Jason huffed, "I've been losing them since I was sixteen, so old age has nothing to do with it!"

"At least you just lose them on your head," Piper said. She giggled. "But then again, you wander around the house looking for them, but you don't tell me or Mark you lost them—then you complain that we didn't say they were on your head the entire time!"

Jason grumbled, flustered.

Percy chuckled. "Annabeth may lose her glasses once in a blue moon, but did I tell you guys about the time on that cruise Bobby paid for us to go on—"

"I swear I will judo flip you into your grave," the daughter of Athena growled.

Percy waved off the threat. "You'd probably throw out your back and do that 'help, I've fallen and I can't get up' thing. And then you'd join me in Elysium soon after because you didn't want me to be alone down there." He paused. "What was I saying? Oh, yeah! The cruise. So, Annabeth, here, drops her reading glasses one day when we land in the Caribbean on a cruise ship. Her lenses fall out."

Jason paled. "That's not good."

"So, Wise Girl puts them back in without really looking and goes on her way," the son of Poseidon continued.

"Why'd she put them on if they're her reading glasses?" Hazel asked.

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "The Caribbean air was messing with my eyes."

"Whatever makes you feel better, Harry Potter," Percy commented. "Anyway, as we're walking through some tourist areas, she keeps stumbling and saying she's dizzy. After about an hour of feeling queasy she finally calls it quits and goes back to the ship. When she takes off her glasses, she realizes something."

"What?" Leo asked.

"She put in her lenses upside down," Percy howled, slapping his knee.

The group laughed, though Frank looked a little late when he finally started laughing. Jason noticed and nudged his shoulder. "Yo," Jason said. "What's wrong? You okay, there?"

"Huh?" Frank said in a raised voice, picking his ear. "What'd you say?"

"Put your hearing aids in," Leo yelled playfully. "We're asking if anything's wrong!"

Hazel snickered. "It's gonna be a little hard for him to put them in right now."

"And why's that?"

"Well, last night, Frank rolled over to take his night pills, like he normally does…" Hazel looked ready to burst with the juicy info she had. "And he accidentally took his hearing aids!"

Jason did a spit take. Leo and Percy howled in laughter. Piper and Annabeth giggled like school girls. Frank looked confused for a moment, then he glared at Hazel.

"I told you not to tell them," he growled.

Hazel smiled innocently. Then, she turned to the rest of the group. "The doctor said they passed through the worst part of the digestive track. Now all we do is wait."

"Eww," Leo said with a grimace. "Why would you want to reuse those?"

"We're not," Hazel said. "We've already ordered new ones from your grandson."

Leo grinned. "I like how my family is the first to make you guys things. Makes me feel like I accomplished something."

"Theo makes the best hearing aids," Hazel assured him. "Better than you, that's for sure."

"Well, I _am_ getting old."

Piper wheezed out a cough. Jason patted her on the back. "You okay?"

"Peachy," Piper answered. "Just can't breathe like I used to."

Annabeth sighed. "What is it everyone calls this period of life? The golden years?"

"Set fire to their houses," Leo grumbled. "Cause I ain't feelin' too 'golden'."

"Me neither," Percy complained. "I feel like these are more 'faded yellow' years than 'golden'."

Everyone laughed.

Just then, the Seven's second and third generations came waltzing up to sit with the group of old coots. The smaller grandkids (or in Leo's and Percy's cases, great-grandchildren) sat in their grandparents' laps, while the adult grandchildren sat nearby. The children of the Seven started preparing a huge lunch, fit for several kings.

Leo looked over his shoulder at Tulio and Esperanza, his eldest children. They were cooking hotdogs. "Hey, Espie!" he called. "Don't ever get to be my age!"

"And why's that?" she called back with a smile.

"Because these 'golden' years ain't too much fun, and I don't want my girl to complain about her back as much as fish-head over here!"

"Whatever you say, _Papi_," she answered, rolling her eyes. She knew the old codgers complained daily about their ever-growing list of health problems, but they didn't really mean it. The elder heroes never meant what they said anymore, unless it was a sentimental thing.

She said to Tulio, "Complaining aside, I think our parents couldn't be happier."

"Are you kidding?" Bobby, Percy and Annabeth's second-born, walked up and gave Espie a pat on the shoulder. "I think my Dad's favorite part about being old is all the grandkids. Mom loves the solitude old age brings now that we're out of the house, though."

"I think my father likes the slow take on life," Mark Grace commented. "He and Mom like nothing more than to sit and do nothing."

"Mine too," Sammy Leo, Frank and Hazel's first son, said.

Tulio walked over to the Seven, smiling as he set down the first of the lunch plates. "_Papi_, what's your favorite part about being old?"

Leo, grinning like a madman, didn't miss a beat when he answered, "I get to complain as much as I want, and no one can tell me otherwise!"

The other old heroes lifted up their drinks to that and said, "Hear, hear!"

* * *

**_A/N: So, that story about the glasses happened to my sister (she was in her 50s when that happened).  
_**

**_And my dad legitimately just swallowed his hearing aids the other night instead of his pills. Thanks, mom, for telling me that story! Because it inspired this!_**

**_I wanna say the Seven are in their late seventies? I don't really know. Just know they are older than dirt at this point and like to complain just for the hell of it. My father is 81 and does it all the time, just cause he can and finds it funny. Old people have a right to complain. Doesn't mean they don't enjoy it._**

**_And yes, my family's age gaps are extremely huge. :)_**


	40. Rejection

**_PLEASE READ THE ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE END OF THE STORY. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU READ IT, AS IT INVOLVES MY UPDATING FREQUENCY._**

**_It's been a year and seven days since this fanfiction was started, guys! How awesome is that?  
_**

**_In honor of that milestone, I decided to write another SOLANGELO one-shot! You all must be so happy._**

**_It's a little weird, and kinda awkward, but I believe it's still good enough to be here :) Enjoy, and happy anniversary and NEW YEAR 2016!_**

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

**40: Rejection  
**

_Straight As a Limp Noodle  
_

Nico wasn't used to being hit on. At 18 years old, he was still considered creepy by everyone—peers and non. To his friends, it was a creepy they loved, for they knew if Nico was somehow not his Hades-genes creepy self, it would be like Leo Valdez getting burned—it was just _wrong_. To strangers, well…the saying is _never judge a book by its cover_, but Nico knew everyone judged on appearance first and _then_ actions, unless the party was introduced _during_ action—but that was the only exception.

So, you can imagine when a girl started _hitting_ on him out of nowhere in New York on New Year's Eve, Nico immediately became suspicious.

The girl was pretty, of that there was no doubt. She had beautiful brown hair that draped over her shoulders in ringlets, delicate eyebrows, sparking brown eyes, and a rounded face. Her outfit was revealing, but not overly so. Nico assumed those heels could kill a monster if she raised her foot quickly enough. She was young, and she didn't look destitute enough to be a random prostitute.

"What?" he asked. "I didn't catch that."

She moved a little closer. "I said, what's a handsome guy like you doing here alone?"

Nico motioned to the ball high above them. "Waiting for the ball to drop like everyone else. But I'm not—"

A surge of people pushed through the doors of the store they were standing in front of, squishing the girl closer to Nico. Besides Will and Hazel, Nico did _not_ like people _physically_ touching him. The girl seemed to think the opposite, for she giggled and snuggled close. At such a close proximity, Nico caught a whiff of something sharp and horrible-smelling.

"Wow," he said tonelessly. "Tipsy are we?"

"Just a bit," she confirmed.

"Um…How old are you exactly?"

"19, sweetie," she slurred, suddenly reaching up and stroking the split ends of his black hair. "Your hair is super soft."

Nico was _not_ in the mood for an underage drunken girl—or _any_ girl, for that matter—hitting on him and touching his hair and…!

"P-Please don't touch my leg like that," he said with a blush.

She took that grin as a _go ahead_ rather than a _go away_. "Aw…you totes like this!"

For the record, Nico was about as straight as a limp noodle. Having a girl in his bubble did not turn him on whatsoever, and having one stroke the _inside of his thigh_ while he was standing was a definite no-no.

Nico shoved her away. "I think you're misunderstanding the situation," he tried to say calmly. This was a drunk mortal on New Year's Eve. She was probably looking for someone to—

"I'm merely noting a simple fact," she said, trying to look…what was that look? Seductive? Nico tried not to gag. "I'm alone on New Year's Eve with no one to kiss. _You're_ alone on New Year's Eve with no one to kiss. The midnight kiss is good luck, you know. Good luck for love."

Nico took a step away. "Actually…"

Around them, the crowd thickened. There were just a few minutes left in the old year. Everyone wanted to get a good view of the ball as it slowly descended.

The girl didn't seem phased by his backpedal. In fact, she stepped even closer. "We could get started _now_, as practice."

"Do you not have _friends_ to get to?" he growled. "I'm sure you weren't drinking alone."

"The curses of a third wheel," she blubbered in a fake sob. "They ditched to do their own midnight kiss."

_Of course they did_, Nico thought with exasperation.

"As much as I enjoy this drunken attempt at seduction," he said. "I'm afraid I'll have to decline your offer. I've my own plan for midnight."

"I'm sure whoever it is isn't prettier than me," she said with a drunken sneer. "My ex said there's not a girl he knew who's prettier than me."

_I could name a few children of Aphrodite—or the love goddess herself…_

"Look," he nearly growled. "Back the Hell off and find someone else to kiss. If you're desperate to base your love life on the kiss of a stranger, I'm sure a homeless man will be happy to get a smooch from someone like you—"

"Nico," called a voice from the crowd.

The son of Hades turned his head and tried not to sigh in relief. His boyfriend, Will Solace, was rushing through the dense crowd, waving and grinning so brightly it almost outshined the lights of the celebratory ball.

When Will reached them, Nico immediately clung on, trying to show the girl he did _not_ run the way she thought he did.

Perhaps her liquor goggles were too strong, or maybe it was the fact the crowd was now chanting at the 30 second mark. Whatever the case, the girl was so desperate for a stupid kiss and somehow thought it would change her whole life. She tried to lunge for Nico, sadness in her eyes.

Nico didn't pity anyone that wasn't a friend or close companion, and even then it was easy to stay calm and aloof. This was not hard to do now. He side-stepped away.

"Please?" she tried. "Just one peck?"

_"TEN, NINE, EIGHT, SEVEN, SIX…"_

Will assessed the situation immediately. To Nico's delight, he didn't snap at him or her. He merely grabbed the son of Hades by the arms, spun him around…

_"FIVE, FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE…"_

…and kissed him. Will's warmth spread through his whole being. All around, other couples shared a kiss, hoping the new year would bring to them a happy love life, and great luck with their spouses.

When they broke apart, Nico stole a glance in the girl's direction. She'd disappeared, no doubt finally realizing she'd chosen the wrong man to creepily cling to.

_Thank the gods_, he thought. _Another minute of her and I think I might have summoned a skeleton just to scare her away…_

Will grinned at Nico. "Happy New Year, huh?"

Nico managed a smile in return. "Thanks for the rescue."

"No prob," the son of Apollo said with a shrug. "At least she had good taste. Too bad her gaydar wasn't working."

"Blame the alcohol," Nico said. "And please don't say 'gaydar' again. That just sounds weird."

"You've been in this century for nearly eight years now and you still don't like twenty-first century terms?"

"Call me old-fashioned."

Will kissed Nico again, this time just a peck on the lips. Nico smirked.

"Happy New Year to you, too."

* * *

**_A/N: I don't like how I wrote her. I wanted to be a little more graceful with that, but whatever. I wanted it to be done before midnight and it was.  
_**

**_And honestly, Nico getting hit on and awkwardly trying to break it to the girl would be the funniest thing to see._**

**_Happy New Year, everyone! Hope 2016 brings you all great tidings and luck!_**

**_On another note, I truly am sorry about the slow updates. You all know my excuses by now and I will not say them again. I do have an announcement about this:_**

**_When Worlds Collide, Misadventures, Tartarus Labs, and Papi v2 will be put on a little update hold. That does not mean I won't be writing for them. On the contrary, I will continue to update them on my Word. However, I will be focusing on the more pressing Calypso in Wonderland, All in Your Head, and Being Together, as well as OSC when I can. The first group will be continuing to get updates in my documents as normal, but until the latter group is finished (particularly AiYH and CiW) they will not get posted. I bit off a lot more than I could chew when I started up so many series after the Keys, and need to focus on a smaller group._**

**_So, do not expect to see any updates on WWC, Misadventures, T Labs, or Papi v2 until at least AiYH and CiW are done._**

**_Random one-shots that are inspired by muse-smackings will continue to come forth, and OSC and Because Being Together is Enough will also continue to update. I love all my stories, and am excited to continue them all, but I need to slow down and focus on the ones that are close to ending (I'm lookin' at you, AiYH). My goal is to have AiYH done by the time Trials of Apollo comes out. Considering there's only a few chapters left, that shouldn't be too hard of a goal, especially considering my track record once I get going._**

**_When one or both of the two focus-finish stories are done, I will put T Labs up next, as well as Papi v2._**

**_So please, be patient for the full time job worker that has way too many series up. All of the others that aren't one-shots or OSC and BBTiE will get updates, but only after Calypso in Wonderland and All in Your Head are done._**

**_Thank you for the read, and enjoy the new year!_**


	41. Button

**_I know I made a GOAL to get a story done before ToA, but life happened. Sorry :( But a GOAL is NOT A DEADLINE. There are no deadlines here.  
_**

**_By the way, just spent the last week reading Trials of Apollo in my spare time. :o Holy schist it was awesome. Here are my non-spoiler highlights:_**

**_-Apollo's hilariously egotistical._**

**_-Solangelo's sweetness gave me diabetes_**

**_-Peaches is now my second favorite character._**

**_-Harley is evil and adorable_**

**_-Percy slipped in Hellhound pee. Good times._**

**_I am extremely satisfied with the amount of Leo mentions in this book (refer to the Harley is adorable point), and feel my Leo juices flowing again! :D_**

**_Anyway, this is the more serious version of the story I posted earlier in the week. I wanted to actually give an update to at least one of my stories and make it sound presentable, so here it is. The prompt had been purple, but I liked Button better. Purple and Button have been switched. Sorry Purple._**

**_IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ: I am about to go on a trip because my job demands it, much like the one I took last year. It will be a few months long, with no/very little internet accessibility. I will be back in mid-Julyish. Hopefully I will have more to offer you guys when I return! I leave this week. Sorry about this, but life happens like that :( See you guys in mid-July~!_**

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

**41: Button**

_Because It Doesn't Matter_

Leo found his second-born daughter sitting in her room, crying. Calypso was sitting with her, one arm wrapped around Aria's shoulders.

Zac, Leo's youngest child, pulled on Leo's shirt from behind. "Is Aria okay?"

Leo sighed. "I don't know, son…Why don't you go downstairs and build something? Make something that'll cheer Aria up?"

Zac walked away, worry clearly etched on his young face.

Leo took a breath and wheeled into Aria's room. "I thought we made a rule about crying in this house," he tried. "Only when a beloved character dies from our favorite books or shows."

The twelve-year-old whimpered into her mother's shoulder. Calypso shook her head at her husband.

Leo got close and placed a hand on his daughter's leg. "Aria," he said softly. "What's wrong, sweetie? Did Ian…dump you?"

Aria shook her head. "No," she croaked. "We're fine…"

"Then what's wrong?" Leo asked.

Aria hiccupped as she tried to steady her breathing. "So…you know how I like to post music videos with…with Ian?"

Leo smiled. He liked those silly music videos the son of Apollo made with his daughter. Some were parodies, others original songs. Ian loved to ask Leo to make special effects for them, to which he gladly obliged. Anything to let his daughter feel special. "Yeah? One get taken down for a bullshit copyright or something? Don't let that get you down."

She sniffled. "No…For…For a while now, there's been someone posting comments. At first I didn't mind. Then…Then they started to get mean."

"Mean how?"

Aria wouldn't meet his eyes. "I told Ian about it, and he just wanted me to delete them and ignore them."

Leo rubbed his daughter's shoulders. "What did they say?"

"They said…they said I didn't deserve to do what I was doing…" Aria sobbed as she tried to explain, "Because Ian was going on a quest, I told the viewers that we'd be taking a break just for a few weeks. We'd made a goal to come back in two months, but because he's still in Wisconsin…we didn't make that goal."

"So what does this have to do with that mean person?"

"They said we were terrible people. That we didn't deserve to be on the site because we couldn't make our deadlines. They said we should go kill ourselves because we're…"

Calypso finished for her, "'Fucking sacks of useless shit'. They've been harassing Aria online, telling her to kill herself—mostly because she's the only one giving updates at the moment."

Leo felt himself nearly catch fire. He wasn't even breathing he was so mad. "Who is this person?" he demanded. "And how do I make them die a slow and painful death?"

"Leo," Calypso growled. "You're turning purple."

"I don't care!" Leo gripped his wheelchair tightly. "I'm pissed off! No one talks to _any_ of my babies like that!"

Calypso pinched her brow. "Go outside. Aria doesn't need your anger in the room. She's dealt with enough of it."

Leo realized Aria was shaking, trying to hold in more sobs. His fire died down instantly, and he deflated. He held out his arms. "Okay. Come here, sweetie. _Papi_ will try to be calm."

Aria got down from her bed and sat in Leo's lap. Her weight, no matter how light or heavy, would not bother his paralyzed legs. She hugged him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Aria," Leo said, keeping his voice calm. "Do you know who this person is?"

"N-No," she whimpered. "They're anonymous."

Leo hummed. "Okay. How long has this been going on?"

"Since a little before the 'goal date', they've been complaining we haven't done anything and don't—"

"I got it," Leo said, stopping her from getting worked up again. "Let's think about that. You said it was your guys' goal, right?"

"Yeah…"

"How is that a deadline?"

Aria fell silent. She had no answer.

Leo smiled. "So you didn't make your goal. Millions of people do that all the time, especially, like, a week or so after New Year's. A goal isn't a deadline by any means. It's just a _goal_."

"But what about them saying we don't deserve to be on the site?"

"Just because you aren't as active as you used to be?" Leo gave a _pfft_. "If you're giving updates on what's going on, it's not abandoning. Plus, there are plenty of people that long-ago abandoned their channels—and yet they're still on that site. 'Deserving' isn't a word that should be applied to a site like that."

Aria seemed to consider that.

"Don't pay attention to them, sweetie," Leo said. "Calypso, what's that thing Piper used to say? The stuff about jealousy?"

"People who are jealous tend to lash out at those who do more than them," Calypso said. "The jealous people can't do what they can, so they use anonymity and try to hurt the ones who seem more popular."

"They're just cowards who don't want to discuss things like a civil person," Leo said. "All they are…are bullies."

Aria looked at her father, her eyes shining.

"You know that saying?" Leo asked. "_Sticks and stones may break my bones_…"

"…but words can never hurt me," Aria finished. "But they do hurt…more than the sticks and stones."

"Only if you let them," he said. Leo shifted his arms, rubbing Aria's back. "I learned a long time ago that words _do_ hurt. But that's only if you dwell on them. My old motto was _always keep moving_. I didn't dwell on things when I was your age. I just let insults slide off me—still do."

"What your father is trying to say is…" Calypso cleared her throat. "Don't let the mean comments get to you. Sure, they will always be there. Sometimes they won't go away by just deleting the comments…"

"…But neither will you, no matter how much they tell _you_ to go away," Leo finished. "No matter what kind of insults they throw your way, no matter how much they 'threaten' you because you're not updating at their preferred speed, it's no big deal."

"No big deal," Aria repeated. She gave her parents a smile. "Yeah…no big deal."

"I have an idea," Leo said. He let Aria slide off of his lap and started wheeling out of the room. He got so excited, he made his chair hover. "Give me, like, ten minutes."

* * *

True to his word, Leo returned within ten minutes, beaming in his hover chair. He had a small box in his hand.

Aria had calmed down considerably. She was plucking at her violin, making a small melody. Calypso hummed along, helping inspire her daughter.

"Happy unbirthday, _mija_," Leo announced happily.

Aria have a small smile and took the box. She opened it, then frowned, pulling out a large button, the size of the _EASY_ button from Staples. "What is it?"

"Your very own IGNORE Button," Leo gladly said. "Whenever you feel upset about those little cowardly haters that tell you mean things, just press this button."

Aria pressed the button. Her favorite song, Owl City's _Shine Your Way_, started emitting from hidden speakers under the button.

She grinned and hugged Leo. "Thanks so much, _Papi_. That makes me feel so much better!"

"Don't let them get you down, sweetie," he said into her shoulder. "You do things your own way. Don't ever think they are the ones that control what you do."

He pulled away just to look her in the eye. He grinned his trademark impish grin. "Haters gonna hate."

Aria imitated her father's grin nearly perfectly, which was funny because she looked so much more like her mother. "Haters gonna hate."

* * *

**_A/N: To the haters that keep telling me to kill myself because blah blah blah:  
_**

**_You're adorable. Have a nice day. ;)_**


	42. IMPORTANT UPDATE (MUST READ)

**_To my faithful, and sometimes hateful, readers,_**

**_No. My stories are NOT up for adoption, and they are NOT abandoned._**

**_I've decided to take a hiatus from posting here until I get my writing life back together. I hate to be THIS author, but it's time I said something. I'm sorry for keeping you all waiting, and I'm sorry to be doing this, but my life comes first._**

**_Guess what? Fanfiction is a hobby, not a job._**

**_To the guest who tells me to kill myself because I'm not updating weekly: Keep telling me that. I actually enjoy those reviews now. They make me smile, because they honestly don't bother me. I'm not being sarcastic, either._**

**_Your anonymity makes you feel important, and you think posting that a hundred times will make it seem like a hundred different people are telling me to kill myself. Well, it doesn't. I cannot say it doesn't affect me, because if it didn't I wouldn't be calling you out or replying to your nonsense._**

**_What I can say is it doesn't make me—a grown-ass adult in the FUCKING MILITARY—want to kill myself. Hmm, what hurts more? A reprimand from a higher-ranked sailor and/or officer, or the cute little anonymous guest who thinks they deserve everything on a silver platter?_**

**_It's definitely not the latter._**

**_So, once again, I apologize for the unannounced hiatus. I informed one person already on Tumblr, but never told you guys. I'm still writing, but too slowly to post. I can't keep you guys sitting and waiting forever with no word. So, please look elsewhere for entertainment until I feel ready to post again._**

**_MY STORIES ARE NOT ABANDONED. MY STORIES ARE NOT UP FOR ADOPTION. THIS INFORMATION WILL NOT CHANGE WITHOUT AN OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT BY ME IN AUTHORS NOTES AND ON MY PROFILE. IF EVER I DECIDE TO ADOPT A STORY I WILL TELL YOU ALL ON MY PROFILE AND ON THAT STORY'S LATEST CHAPTER.  
_**

**_If anyone claims to be the new 'owner' of my stories and I have not told you in the described manner, report them immediately and PM me._**

**_Sincerely yours,_**

**_Winekita_**


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